WESTFIELD — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited students at Westfield High School on Wednesday.
Biden was in central Indiana as part of a series of back-to-school events across the country, according to the Office of the First Lady.
She was joined by Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murphy as they visit Westfield High School to highlight the importance of mental health resources for schools.
The visit comes as Westfield Washington schools is receiving $400,000 in federal funding from the bi-partisan Safer Communities Act. The legislation is a $1.7 billion investment in mental health resources for schools across the country.
"The funding will go to help support our mental health partnership with Ascension St. Vincent Behavioral Health. It provides mental health support and increases access to mental health support within our school community and our school based program," Kyle Miller, Director of Student Support and Counseling Services for Westfield schools, said.
Students at Westfield High School have taken it upon themselves to help their peers struggling with mental health. In 2021, they established the Westfield High School chapter of Robbie's Hope.
The organization was started in 2018 by Jason and Kari Eckert after their son Robbie committed suicide. The organization has a goal to cut teen suicide rates in half by the year 2028.
The students that started the organization in Westfield presented what they do to help their peers to Biden.
"What you are doing here is going to heal communities," Biden said. "It's so important to me as first lady, a teacher, a mom and a grandma. It's also so important to president Biden."
The organization shared statistics showing that in 2021, 22% of high school students reported seriously considering suicide. 18% made a plan to do it, and 10% attempted suicide one or more times.
Nora Flickinger, a senior at Westfield High School, is one of the founders of the group.
"We truly understand what it's like to live today," Flickinger said. "It's a negative connotation that we are trying to seek out the extra attention of having these mental health issues and diagnosis. It really takes away from the whole ideology of reducing the stigma. "
She hopes that politicians and adults are able to understand why teens are struggling, especially after their generation was isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She says she hopes they take their fight for access to services seriously.
"I would not say that teenagers enjoy social media but that it is essential to our connection nowadays," Flickinger said. "So, being able to understand that just because someone is struggling does not mean it's their phones fault or it is social media, it's just that they need their time."
Following her visit to Westfield, Biden will travel to Chicago where she will headline the Chicago Federation of Labor event.
