Journey Mental Health is continuing its annual effort to monitor the emotional well being of Madison students, conducting universal screenings for nearly 4,000 junior high and high schoolers across the city. These evaluations are designed to uncover hidden struggles that often go unnoticed by teachers and parents alike, identifying students who may appear perfectly fine on the surface while battling internal turmoil. While the program is available to all eligible students, parents maintain the right to opt their children out of the process.
Nelsie Stern, the director of youth mental health services at Journey, explains that these screenings frequently reveal symptoms of depression, anxiety, or traumatic stress that otherwise would have remained silent. Most critically, the process allows providers to identify students contemplating suicide who might not have felt comfortable disclosing those thoughts voluntarily. By asking direct questions in a clinical setting, staff can intervene quickly and establish necessary safety protocols to protect vulnerable teenagers.
Stern emphasizes that while some social withdrawal is normal during adolescence, there is a distinct difference between typical teenage independence and dangerous isolation. She encourages families to watch for extreme behavioral shifts, such as when a child stops participating in activities they once loved or begins disconnecting entirely from their peer groups. When these red flags appear alongside screening results, it often signals a need for immediate professional intervention.
To ensure that financial barriers do not prevent kids from getting help, Journey offers treatment at no cost to those identified as needing further care. To keep these services running, the organization is currently seeking donations through its Beyond the Backpack initiative. A generous matching donor has pledged to match the next 10,000 dollars raised, providing an incentive for community members to contribute via the organization’s website.
