Besa Gordon on: The Mental Health Resources She Wishes Every Student Knew About
By Besa Gordon - I recently sat down with DEEL's Director Dwane Chappelle and members of the Rainier Beach Health Clinic team for a conversation that felt personal in every way.
We talked about youth mental health — and not in a “buzzword” way, but in a real, honest way… the kind of conversation that can actually change outcomes for young people across Seattle.
One thing Director Chappelle said really stuck with me: If students are dealing with anxiety or depression, learning can’t fully happen. That’s why DEEL has been focused on awareness, prevention, and intervention — making sure young people have support in multiple ways, not just one.
What I love is that the city is removing barriers and meeting youth where they are:
✅ School-based health centers (with counseling, physicals, even dental care)
✅ Telehealth options
✅ Community-based supports like art therapy
✅ Youth leaders being trained to help their peers
✅ Even QR codes on the light rail so young people can connect with help in real time
And I’ll be honest — this hit home for me. When I was in middle school and high school, I used school health clinics so I could talk to a counselor and have a trusted adult really listen. That support mattered more than I could explain back then… and it’s a huge part of why therapy has never felt “scary” to me as an adult. It felt normal. It felt accessible. It felt like care.
Melissa McCullough, one of the counselors at Rainier Beach High School, shared how having mental health support right inside the building helps reduce stigma and makes it part of a student’s everyday life — not something separate or intimidating.
And Pray Shiferaw, a Behavioral Health Coordinator, emphasized how powerful it is for students to have someone physically on campus — a trusted adult they can turn to without judgment.
These services exist because we truly never know what a young person is carrying.
And we all deserve support.
Stay tuned for these interviews soon — because this is the kind of information every student, parent, and family should know is available.
Photos by: Erik Kalligraphy
