Name of the school: Byron-Bergen High school

Contact person: Grace Campbell, gcampbell@bbschools.org, (585)-993-0904

Define your Target Population

1. Where are they located?

Byron-Bergen is located at 6917 West Bergen Road, Bergen NY 14416. The school is
considered to be in Genesee County, although it is also very close to Monroe County.
Byron-Bergen is a rural school district, averaging 60 students in each graduating class.
The school consists of an elementary school, which houses grades PreK-5, and a Jr./Sr.
High school which includes grades 6-12.

2. Who are they?

Byron Bergen Jr./Sr. High school is a public high school.

3. Byron-Bergen’s Mission/Vision
Byron-Bergen’s mission is to inspire, prepare, and support using the values of
compassion, humility, kindness, and persistence, with the vision to change the world. The
school district believes that its students will demonstrate critical thinking skills, using
logic and creativity in making decisions and in solving problems. The district takes pride
in the idea that its students demonstrate respect for themselves and others and the world
around them.

4. What does the school or agency provide to the community?

Byron-Bergen School district has a very close relationship with its community members.
The school works with the local community to host multiple events within the school and
at local agencies, such as the library. The school hosts events such as farm day, fire safety
day, and career day, all of which involve community members coming in and getting to
know Byron-Bergen students and staff. The local community center, which is across the
street from the school, offers multiple activities and events for community members to
participate in. Byron-Bergen offers free/reduced lunches throughout the school year to
families who qualify, and throughout the summer, they offer free lunches to every
student. The school has a “clothing closet”, where students are able to receive clothing
that they may need. The school also provides quality education to every student. Byron-
Bergen recently earned a place on Character.org’s annual list of State Schools and
Districts of Character.

5. Describe what the research showed about your targeted population for assets (strengths) and
areas of growth (needs).
Byron-Bergen students in grades 9-12 are provided with many opportunities for success.
The students at Byron-Bergen have access to many clubs, sports, plays, advanced classes,
 and help in any way that they need it. One of the many strengths of Byron-Bergen’s
students include their academic success. Many students at the district go on to attend
high-ranking colleges. Multiple student athletes have gone on to attend division I colleges
for sports. One of the areas for growth at Bergen would be its diversity. The district is not
very diverse, around 88% of the students are white (NYSED, 2022).

6. Who is your main contact at the agency (name, phone, email)?

My main contact at the school district is myself, as I am a Physical Education and 3-5
Health Education teacher employed by the district. My name is Grace Campbell, and I
can be reached at 585-494-1220 x 3419, or by email at gcampbell@bbschools.org.

Goal of This Needs Assessment

The goal of this needs assessment is to collect data on the mental health of students in grades 9-
12 at Byron-Bergen Central School District. Recent studies have found that students' mental
health is declining, and students do not know how to cope with any issues that may arise. The
data on students' mental health will be collected through an anonymous online survey that
students will complete. The data that is collected will be analyzed and used to identify areas in
which the district needs to make improvements; such areas may include but are not limited to
health instruction, access to needed services/resources and the school atmosphere. By the end of
this process, we are hoping that at least 10% of Byron-Bergen’s students will report that they feel
more welcomed and safe within the school.

Information Needed
Age:
1. 9th grade
2. 10th grade
3. 11th grade
4. 12th grade
Gender
1. Female
2. Male
3. Neither of the above
Do you have an IEP?
1. Yes
2. No
Are you an English Language Learner?
1. Yes
2. No
What is your ethnicity?
 1. White or caucasian
2. Black
3. Asian
4. Hispanic
5. Other
Are your parents:
1. Married
2. Seperated
3. Divorced
4. Other
Would you classify yourself as having a disability?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Prefer not to answer
What town do you live in?
1. Bergen
2. Byron
3. Other/Not sure

How would you rate your happiness?

1. Excellent
2. Good
3. Fair
4. Poor
How would you rate your current mental health status?
1. Excellent
2. Good
3. Fair
4. Poor
Thinking back to the start of the school year, excluding school holidays, how many days have
you missed this year (estimate if not sure)?
1. 0 days
2. 5 days or less
3. 5 - 9 days
4. 10 - 19 days
5. 20 - 29 days
6. 30 - 39 days
7. 40 - 49 days
8. 50 days or more
What was the main reason you missed school?
1. I was sick/unwell
 2. Had a doctor’s or other medical appointment
3. A family member was sick
4. Parental work conflict
5. Lack of transportation
6. I didn't want to go
7. Family events
8. Other

Please fill out the following chart to the best of your ability based on your feelings within the
past six months. For each item, please mark the box for Never, Sometimes, or Often.
Never Sometimes Often

I try to be nice to other people. I care about their feelings.

I am restless, I cannot stay still for long.

I share with others, for example CDs, games, food.

I get very angry and often lose my temper.

I would rather be alone than with people of my age.

I do as I am told.

I worry.

I am constantly fidgeting or squirming.

I have one good friend or more.

I am unhappy, depressed or tearful.

Other people my age generally like me.

I am easily distracted; I find it difficult to concentrate.

I am nervous in new situations and I easily lose confidence.

Other children or young people pick on me or bully me.

I often volunteer to help others (parents, teachers, children).

I think before I do things.

I take things that are not mine from home, school or

elsewhere.

I have many fears, I am easily scared.

 I finish the work I’m doing. My attention is good.

Does your family complain about you having problems with

overactivity or poor concentration?

Do your teachers complain about you having problems with

overactivity or poor concentration?

I worry about doing better at things.

I worry about doing the wrong thing.

I am afraid of making mistakes.

I am overly anxious to please people.

I have no interest in my usual activities.

I have trouble enjoying myself.

I feel hopeless.

I feel unhappy or depressed.

I argue with adults.

Do you feel worried today?

1. I don’t feel worried today
2. I feel a little bit worried today
3. I feel quite worried today
4. I feel very worried today
Do you feel sad today?
1. I don’t feel sad today
2. I feel a little bit sad today
3. I feel quite sad today
4. I feel very sad today
In the last four weeks, about how often did you feel hopeless?
1. None of the time
2. Some of the time
3. Most of the time
4. All of the time
In the last four weeks, how often did you feel calm or peaceful?
1. None of the time
2. Some of the time
3. Most of the time
 4. All of the time

Name a few of the topics that you learn about in health class.

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Do you need help with any of the following (check next to those that apply to you):

A. Low self esteem ____

B. Negative thoughts about yourself ____

C. Gender identity/sexual orientation ____

D. Being bullied in school ____

E. Being bullied online ____

F. Thinking about committing suicide ____

G. Stress/anxiety ____

H. Eating disorders ____

I. Self-harm ____

Timeline

The goal is for this assessment to be implemented by the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

September 2024 - Committee will review the survey, make any necessary adjustments, and plan
for it to be administered.

October 2024 - Students will complete the survey.

October 2024 - November 2024 - Results of the survey will be analyzed by the health and safety
committee. There will also be further research performed on students' needs and a goal will be
created for the end of the school year (EX. Student belonging within the district will increase by
30% by the end of the school year).

December 2024 - Results of the survey will be presented to the Board of Education and will
become visible to the public. Along with this, additional research will be presented which
explains the importance of good mental health, and the overall mental health of students in our
area.

January 2025 - June 2025 - The remainder of the school year will be used to determine how we
can use these results to better help our students. This will include increasing mental health
supports throughout the building, creating a welcoming and happy school atmosphere, reviewing
the health education curriculum to ensure that mental health is a priority discussion.

January 2025 - June 2025 - Research on student’s mental health will be performed, and
employees within the health and safety committee will be asked to participate in professional
development seminars, conferences, and events so that they have the most up-to-date knowledge.

February 2025 - At least two activities/strategies will be implemented with a goal to improve
student’s mental health. (Example: offering yoga sessions, school-wide mindful Mondays,
repainting the walls and including student artwork)

April 2025 - Get students and parents involved by conducting a meeting in which they can voice
their concerns and any ideas that they may have. This might also include the creation of a student
led club, which focuses on student’s mental health.

June 2025 - Have an updated health curriculum created, which focuses on mental health and
student needs. Evaluate whether the district was able to reach the goal that was set in October.

Where, How, and From Whom?

What did the professional literature say about your site and their needs?

According to the Monroe County YRBS that was performed during the 2021-2022 school year,
the health area which created most concern was students' mental health. The survey indicated
increases in girls who considered attempting suicide, students who did not go to school one or
more days because they felt unsafe there, and an increase in the percentage of students who
reported living with someone who was depressed, mentally ill or suicidal (Monroe County
Department of Public Health, 2022). In addition to this, 42% of girls and 20% of boys reported
feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row in the past year (Monroe County
Department of Public Health, 2022). One of every ten students (10.2%), made a plan for how
they would attempt suicide. This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. Educating students
about mental health, and assessing our district's approach to handling mental health is the first
step.

What type of data will you be collecting? Primary, secondary, qualitative, quantitative?

I will be collecting primary, secondary, qualitative, and quantitative data. I will be collecting
primary data through the survey. This is considered primary data because it is firsthand data that
was collected through a survey that was created by me. I will also be collecting secondary data
throughout the entire process of implementing the survey and utilizing its results. When creating
the survey, I used secondary data by looking at data that was previously collected. I used that
data to assess what is most needed at Byron-Bergen and to help understand what questions to ask
on the survey. I will also use secondary data when I collect information to present to the board of
education. I will be collecting qualitative and quantitative data through the survey that students
will complete.

Who do you need to collect data from?

The survey data will be collected from students in grades 9-12 at Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High
School. There will also be secondary data collected by researching online databases and peer-
reviewed journals.

How will you collect the data?

The data will be collected through a survey that will be taken on students' chromebooks. Data
will be collected through an online survey so that the results can be easily interpreted, students'
responses will remain anonymous, and so that the survey is easily accessible for every student.

Where will you collect this data?

The data will be collected during school. In the beginning of October, there will be a block of
time (about one hour) in which students will all take the survey at the same time. They will take
the survey in the gymnasium while sitting at a desk. The days will be split by grade level, for
example 10th graders will take the survey in the gym on 10/06 from 8:00-9:15, and 11th graders
will take it on a different day. The survey will be completed on chromebooks, that way the data
can be very easily interpreted and the results can remain anonymous.

What Resources are Needed to Implement your Needs Assessment

To implement this needs assessment, I will be using an anonymous online survey. This means
that I will need a few different resources. One resource will be chromebooks for students to take
the assessment on, which will be simple since every student is given a chromebook at the
beginning of the school year. I will also need a space to take the survey, which will be the gym.
Within that space, I will need desks for each student. I will also need access to SPSS in order to
examine the results of the survey.

Who is Responsible for Obtaining the Information

- The schools health and safety team - this may include but is not limited to
- Health education teacher
- Administration
- PE teachers
- Classroom teachers (at least two)
- Students (depending on the situation)
- Community members (at least two, one of which is a parent to a student)
- Transportation coordinator
- Building and grounds coordinator
- SRO
- School nurse
- School counselors and social workers

Alternative Hypothesis
As the atmosphere at a school, and a student's education level on mental health both increase, the
amount of students who are diagnosed with a mental health disorder will decrease. In other
words, when students are more educated and provided with a healthy and safe learning
environment, their mental health status will increase.

Null Hypothesis
There is no relationship between a school's atmosphere, education on mental health, and students
who are diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Collect information

New York State is experiencing a youth mental health crisis. There have been studies performed
that concluded 14.3% of worldwide deaths are attributable to mental disorders (Walker et. al.,
2015) and evidence has consistently shown that people suffering from mental illness have a
greater risk of morbidity and mortality when compared to the general population (Latoo et. al.,
2013). From 2011 to 2021, the rates of youth who persistently felt sad or hopeless increased from
21 percent to 29 percent for teen boys, and from 36 percent to 57 percent for teen girls (New
York State Office of Mental Health, 2023). It has been proven that a school's climate and a
student's education on the topic of mental health are both huge factors that are related to this
unfortunate increase. This is why we are implementing this needs assessment.

According to the Monroe County Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) 31.6% of students
reported that within the past year they felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more
weeks in a row that they stopped doing their usual activities. Over 40% of students reported
having serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of mental, or
emotional challenges (Monroe County Department of Public Health, 2022). That is almost one of
every two students reporting that they are experiencing mental or emotional challenges. 14.5% of
students reported seriously considering attempting suicide and 5.7% of students actually
attempted suicide (Monroe County Department of Public Health, 2022). When looking at these
statistics by gender, females were more likely than males to report mental health problems and
suicidal behavior. When looking at the data by race, Latino and White students were more likely
than Black students to report mental health challenges (Monroe County Department of Public
Health, 2022).

The NHIS (National Health Interview Survey) is another great source of data when looking at
students' health status. According to the NHIS, 20.2% of teens aged 12-17 years had unmet
mental health care needs in the past 12 months (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
2018). This could be due to cost, lack of knowledge, or students are simply afraid of what others
will think of them. On the other end, 19.7% of students reported receiving counseling or therapy
from a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, or
clinical social worker (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). In 2018, NYS passed
a law that requires mental health education to be a part of all Health Education programs (New
York State Center for School Health, 2023), unfortunately this law is not enforced as much as it
should be. Although the mental health crisis is still on the rise, the good news is that there are
things we can do to help our students. Research shows that among other things, providing safe
and supportive environments, educating students on mental health and helping them learn how to
cope are ways to help students increase their mental health status (Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, 2023). Knowing how to help our students is the first step in the right direction.
 A. Review and set preliminary priorities based on the data in a similar chart on the next page
(Area IV)

Current Desired Needs or Gaps:

Outcomes: Outcomes: Priority Ranking: Solutions/
Action Steps:
What is the Evaluation Items:

How things How things source of the How important is this need What are we
going to do How do we know we’ve
are… should be… problem? compared with others? about it? succeeded?

DO DO NOT
We do not 2 of 5 NOT

14.3% of know how to COMPLETE

COMPL
worldwide No combat this - ETE
We will be

deaths are worldwide everyone is working on this

for our next

attributable to deaths different. assessment.

We will

mental should be be
workin

disorders attributable Social media is g on

this for
to mental not helping. our
next
disorders. assess
ment.

57% of teen
girls No Social Media 4 of 5
persistently teenagers
feel sad or should feel The school
hopeless persistently atmosphere
sad or
hopeless.

31.6% of
students have No students Social Media 5 of 5
felt so sad or are so
hopeless sad/hopeless
almost every that they
Peer Influence
day for two or stop doing
more weeks in usual
a row that they everyday
stopped doing activities. Lack of support
their usual
activities.

14.5% of
students No students Social media 1 of 5
reported have
seriously attempted
considering suicide.
Societal
attempting expectations
suicide and
5.7% of Lack of
students support/place to
actually go for help
attempted
suicide.

20.2% of teens Cost

aged 12-17 All teens are 3 of 5
years had able to get lack of
unmet mental the help that knowledge
health care they need
when it People are
needs in the
comes to afraid of what
past 12
mental others will
months.
health. think of them if
they go to get
help

Table adapted from West Virginia Department of Education Comprehensive Needs Assessment, Neglected and Delinquent Needs Assessment Committee training, March 2009.

References

BCFPI . (2009). CHILD & YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH GENERAL SCREENING

QUESTIONNAIRE.
http://www.shared-care.ca/files/Youth_Questionnaire_Final.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, August 27). NHIS Teen. National Center for
Health Statistics .
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/NHIS_teen/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). High school YRBS. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from
https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/app/Results.aspx?LID=NY

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, June 1). Mental health. Adolescent and
School Health . https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health/index.htm

Latoo, J., Mistry, M., & Dunne , F. (2013). Physical morbidity and mortality in people with
mental illness. British Journal of Medical Practitioners, 6(3).
https://doi.org/6(3):a621

Mental health. New York State Education Department. (n.d.)

. https://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/mental-health

Monroe County Department of Public Health . (2022). Monroe County Youth Risk Behavior
Survey Report. https://www.monroecounty.gov/files/health/health-
action/MC%20YRBS%202021-22%20FINAL.pdf

New York State Center for School Health . (2023, January 10). Mental health. Mental Health.
https://www.schoolhealthny.com/site/default.aspx?
PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=190 &ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f

a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=108&PageID=126

New York State Office of Mental Health I Office of Children and Family Services . (2023, June).
Youth Mental Health Listening Tour report-June 2023 - New York State .
https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/statistics/youth-mh-listening-tour-report.pdf

NYSED. (2022). Byron-Bergen CSD - enrollment data: NYSED Data Site.

https://data.nysed.gov/enrollment.php?year=2022&instid=800000034015

Walker, E. R., McGee, R. E., & Druss, B. G. (2015). Mortality in mental disorders and global
disease burden implications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA
psychiatry, 72(4), 334–341.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.2502