Submitted Photo: Clizia Martini

Club members meet at an Active Minds meeting as they explore CCS’s virtual mindfulness room. Clizia Martini, Active Minds co-president and junior, said the counseling center seems to be really expanding on mental health resources this year, as they have also hired in-school therapists and are planning a virtual mental health fair.

According to Superintendent Michael Beresford, two to three therapists from Ascension St. Vincent Wellness will soon be providing services at CHS starting in October. Meanwhile, the CHS track is undergoing renovation, and Carmel Clay Schools (CCS) currently has an expansion of the CHS performing arts department and as well as a new parking lot planned.

“My understanding of the (mental health services) plan is to start two to three therapists at Carmel high school fairly soon, and (school staff) had two other therapists that they thought could start working in the middle schools,” Beresford said. “When they hire someone, they have to go through an onboarding process and that can take like two weeks to a month. That’d be a little delay there, but I think it’ll be pretty soon.”

With regards to mental health services, Clizia Martini, Active Minds co-president and junior, said the CHS counseling department has been expanding more on that aspect this year, from hiring therapists to scheduling initiatives such as a virtual mental health fair or a virtual mindfulness room. She also said she has not heard of an update yet of when the therapists will begin providing services.

“We are preparing for the virtual mental health fair at Carmel High School that will be taking place on October 19th through the 22nd, and that’s for parents and students at CHS,” Martini said. “The counseling center is still working on finding out everything, but I know they told us that people can find updates for that on the website or through Facebook or Twitter. I know they also launched the virtual mindfulness room on the website, which we introduced at a club meeting.”

Beresford also gave an overview of CCS’s recent construction decisions with regards to CHS: the new track is currently underway, with future plans to renovate the stadium, build a new pool, expand the performing arts department area, and build one more parking lot down from the soccer parking lot. He estimated the entire multi-phase remodel will take around five years to finish, and has already begun with the new track.