CANYON, Texas (KFDA) – Starting this school year, Canyon ISD will offer psychological services to all employees.
Canyon ISD says they implemented the program because they recognize the importance of mental health, especially in today’s challenging environment.
This program offers online therapy with 24/7 access to a psychologist.
“We have a licensed therapist who messages us and says, ‘Hey, I have time now. What time works best for you?’ and also, ‘What’s your schedule like so I can work around that?’ And like I said, it’s e-therapy, so you can do it on the weekend. I can do it during my conference at work, which is really great,” said Sierra Ybarra, a 7th grade science teacher at Randall Junior High School.
Canyon ISD has provided us with an explanation of what these services are for.
“These services are designed to help our staff maintain their well-being, manage stress and remain balanced, all of which contribute to their ability to provide a high-quality education and support to our students,” said Lisa Johnson, Canyon ISD’s director of district communications.
Teachers comment positively on the fact that this program is available to them at any time.
“When we got the notification about the services, it was really exciting because it was kind of a relief, like, ‘Oh, I can breathe a little easier,’ because you take a lot of the students’ needs home with you, especially as a new teacher,” Ybarra said. “Sometimes you don’t have those boundaries and you just have to create them. But to find out that we had those services was just a huge relief.”
Canyon ISD says this mental health program is part of a larger initiative to support their employees.
The goal is to make these services available as long as they are needed and of use to Canyon ISD staff.
All rights reserved.
