Editorials are articles written by a publication’s editors to express a shared opinion or discuss a topic the editors think needs more attention. These articles are meant to persuade readers and to promote critical thinking while sometimes encouraging people to take action. All opinions are those of the writers themselves and do not promote any official view or stance of Mead High School or St. Vrain Valley Schools. 

The Mav editorial board strongly believes that mental health awareness is not talked about nearly enough amongst teenagers: in the media, in everyday casual conversations, and in our society as a whole. Instead of acknowledging the mental health struggles countless teenagers face, many teenagers have been forced to isolate themselves and cut themselves off from the little resources available to them because of the negative stigmas surrounding reaching out for help.

In order to combat this, we will be using this editorial series, The Patchwork Project, in order to explore and attempt to educate others about what surrounds trials of mental health different teenagers have faced or are actively facing.

The Mav has decided to do our part in normalizing the conversation of mental health and bring awareness to the lack of available realistic resources for high school students. Our goal is to showcase that mental health looks different in different environments and with different people. Most importantly, we want this series to be a support for others to show that you’re not alone, and that there is hope in all scenarios.

In order to best support readers of the articles making up The Patchwork Project, we have provided various professional mental health resources at the bottom of this introduction piece, as well as at the bottom of any articles covering triggering or sensitive topics. There are trigger warnings before any pieces that mention suicidal thoughts, self harm, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and other sensitive topics. Please be aware that despite this, readers may still be triggered by topics in other pieces; if this is the case, we encourage you to stop reading and seek support if you feel at all uncomfortable.

Each separate article released under The Patchwork Project will keep the identity of the writer entirely anonymous in order to avoid future conflicts tying mental health and illness with the writer’s identity. This could impact future careers, employment, relationships, etc., and the content of many of these pieces is very personal, making anonymity the best option legally and socially for writers involved with The Patchwork Project.

One mental health piece will be released twice weekly — one every Thursday and every Friday starting Feb. 24. They can be accessed by students, staff, members of the community, and other readers through published The Mav Student News social media posts or directly from mavnewspaper.com.

We would like to make it incredibly clear that articles and advice published under The Patchwork Project are not a replacement for therapeutic resources or professional advice. We aim to offer our experiences to help readers hopefully connect with some of the stories shared. Though many writers share some of the tactics that have worked to better their mental wellbeing, we are not giving advice — we are simply sharing our experiences to better normalize discussion.

That being said, we hope you find this editorial series helpful in connecting with others and learning more about the varying experiences surrounding mental health.

If you or someone you know if seriously struggling negatively with mental health or mental illness, has been practicing unhealthy coping mechanisms, or is experiencing any form of suicidal thoughts or ideations, please reach out for help.

In case of an emergency in personal health and safety, call 911.

The Weld County crisis walk-in service, North Range Behavioral Health, can be found on 928 12th St., Greeley, CO 80631. For Boulder County, Boulder Crisis Services can be reached at (844) 493-8255.

The local crisis phone number, available 24/7, is the following: (970) 347-2120

If not in a crisis, the North Range Warm Line is available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and offers professional mental health services for free. They can be found at (970) 347-2359. This service is also available in Spanish.

Colorado Crisis Services can be found at (844) 493-8255. You can also text “TALK” to 38255.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be found at (800) 273-8255 for those in serious and immediate threats to safety.

Other mental health resources include the North Colorado Medical Center/Banner Health — you can call (970) 810-4121 or visit 1801 16th St., Greeley, CO 80631 — as well as the UCHealth Greeley Hospital. The hospital can be reached at (970) 652-2000. Their address is 6767 W. 29th St., Greeley, CO 80634.