HANOVER, Pa. — The halls are once again filled for the school year at Hanover Area, and it's not just back to school for these students. It's also the first day back for Barney.
"So he's growing up with them now; this is like his second home. And he just brings happiness and joy wherever he goes," said Karen McHale, Special Education supervisor.
The black English lab isn't just a wagging tail to greet you, he also serves as a therapy dog throughout the district.
A service that superintendent Nathan Barrett said is much needed, "The embedded nature of mental health services has skyrocketed. So, right now, we have guidance counselors, we have social workers, we have trauma therapists."
Barrett says the school recently invested in hiring four new mental health officials.
It's a cost Hanover is trying to win back through a lawsuit filed this summer against social media companies arguing that the platforms have created a mental health crisis within the student body.
"If you take a look at trends with the use of social media, you're going to see a connection between the two," said Barrett.
But as that lawsuit plays out, Hanover Area says in the meantime, there's nothing a few pets can't help.
"There's no division when you can come together over puppy, there's no racial boundaries, there's no bullying," said McHale.
Calming those back-to-school jitters all through the help of their furriest classmate.
More mental health resources for students:
As students made their return to the halls of Hanover Area High School for some, the first day of class brings more than just back-to-school jitters.
It can mean stress and anxiety, even leading to violence inside the schools.
"Anger is a byproduct of other emotions, so we were seeing some violent episodes in the school two years ago," explained Nathan Barrett, Hanover Area Superintendent.
And Barrett says the mental health crisis hasn't stopped.
The district has hired four new mental health professionals and started focusing on trauma counseling services.
"So when I came to Hanover, my schedule filled up very quickly," said Louise Henry, social worker.
Louise Henry is a social worker at Hanover Area, focusing on trauma counseling.
She says social media is becoming like an addiction for many teens causing a huge spike in depression and anxiety, "It actually has to do with their brains, just like if someone were to be addicted to coffee or alcohol."
Superintendent Nathan Barrett is taking the mental health crisis right to the top.
Hanover Area joined a number of schools to file a lawsuit against social media companies, arguing that platform giants like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have created a surge in mental health needs in students.
"If you take a look at trends with the use of social media, you're going to see a connection between the two," said Barrett.
It's a trend former Hanover High School guidance counselor Michelle Zapotoski saw when she was with the district several years ago.
"Social media was such a big component in a lot of really sad days for a lot of kiddos and the need for guidance counseling services, and it caused a lot of fights to be perfectly honest," said Michelle Zapotoski, Mountain Top Counseling owner.
That need led her to open her own business Mountain Top Counseling in Mountain Top and Luzerne.
"At the school, I would refer to the community resource, and here I am the community resource. It's a really rewarding feeling," said Zapotoski.
Trying to help combat this mental health crisis both in the classroom and in the community.
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