This year’s SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) activities at MLA (in addition to the notorious staff vs. students volleyball game) consisted of friendship bracelets, origami activities, and coloring sheets.

I was actually part of the organizing crew along with workers from Metropolitan Famil

y Services who were excited to come to MLA for SAMHSA. We had to prepare during the 3rd period on May 11th and the 4th period on May 12th. We were in charge of decorating the areas we were going to be at with posters and supplies for display tables. We were also tasked with creating a playlist for the event’s soundtrack. Behind the scenes, we all did our best to spread awareness of substance abuse and mental health. We staffed tables and shared knowledge about various substance abuse and mental health issues with all the students coming by for crafts. 

This is MLA’s 5th year working with SAMHSA since I’ve been here (2019). SAMHSA’s mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and support to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.

The SAMSHA activities this year were part of a larger “May Mental Health Month”  which also included parent workshops and a staff vs student volleyball game on May 12th during 5th period. The staff once again clobbered students. Mr. Grimm showed no mercy, using his height as an advantage. All joking aside, the game was a fun way to have staff and students participate in the SAMSHA events while making some fun memories.

Overall, the month’s events have been a great way to celebrate all of the hard efforts our school puts into making students feel supported.