EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A community forum in East El Paso on Monday night brought families, school leaders and mental health professionals together to talk about mental health awareness and the resources available to students and parents.
The event was held at the Michelle T. Adjemian Recreation Center in partnership with Emergence Health Network, El Paso city leaders and Burges High School.
City Rep. Deanna Maldonado-Rocha, who represents parts of East and South-Central El Paso, said the goal was to make sure families know what help is available in the community, including options that may be free.
“I felt like there’s a need to possibly go out and show people what resources are available to them, and some at no cost,” Maldonado-Rocha said.
Maldonado-Rocha said she hopes the forum is the start of something bigger for families seeking support.
“I hope that this type of meeting really is something that is the beginning of something special, to be able to provide parents that same space as well,” she said.
The forum followed the death of 16-year-old Tony Arellano, a Burges High School student who died by suicide in April.
Jordan Salas reports on East El Paso forum highlights youth mental health resources after Burges student’s death (Credit: KFOX14)
His family described him as a hardworking student who was involved in track, wrestling and JROTC, and said that while it appeared he was excelling, he was also struggling with something others did not see.
Tony’s mother has been sharing his story and saying he experienced bullying. She hopes his story brings awareness to the emotional struggles some students face. She is asking anyone with information about what her son experienced at school to come forward.
El Paso Independent School District board Trustee Alex Cuellar, who represents the area, attended the forum and said the district needs to focus on supporting students before another tragedy occurs.
“This is definitely not something we want to be reactive to. This is something that has to be proactive,” Cuellar said.
Tony’s former JROTC teacher, Jorge Del Toro, also spoke about him during the forum.
“He was a terrific student who was and was kind hearted. He was quite, And yet he was strong in spirit,” Del Toro said.
Emergence Health Network shared mental health resources with families, including information about crisis services.
Celeste Nevarez, the network’s chief clinical officer, encouraged families to make mental health part of regular conversations at home and highlighted the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
“So we have our crisis hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, holidays included. That’s our 988 phone line that rings directly to us. So we have local people on the end of that call answering for a crisis 24/7,” Nevarez said.
EPISD said mental health support is available through campus counselors, specialized mental health professionals and on-site services provided in partnership with Emergence Health Network. For bullying prevention, the district pointed to its “See Something, Say Something” campaign, saying students and parents can report concerns through its Stop Bullying webpage or an anonymous alerts system.
Cuellar said addressing student mental health and bullying concerns will require more than one forum.
“It needs to be a holistic approach from the ground up to ensure that we get that messaging across to everyone,” he said.
More information about Emergence Health Network and the services it provides can be found here.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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