LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This year teachers are dealing with a lot of stressors between virtual learning, changing mask guidance, and quarantine periods.
At Gov. Asa Hutchinson's weekly briefing Wednesday, Arkansas Secretary of Education Johnny Key highlighted the state's current set of resources dedicated to the mental health of the state's educators.
"We're having a successful school year but the effort that it is taking by our administrators, our teachers, and our support staff in our schools is extraordinary," Key said.
And 5th grade science teacher Jeff Haigwood knows that all too well, both in the classroom and at home.
"We see it every day. I know us as teachers, we're consistently talking in Zoom or after hours about things that we're all going through..." Haigwood said, "It's just been it's been hard being a single dad/teacher doing all of that."
So Key explained that through the Department of Education's current Employee Assistance Program, public school employees can access free counseling resources regardless of insurance plan.
"We are promoting what is not a new program, it is an existing program," Key said.
The opportunity for free mental health counseling is through a program called New Directions, a free 24 hour telephone service at 1-877-300-9103.
And this free resource isn't just for educators, but for their families as well. Children of public school employees, including college students, up to age 26 can also call in.
Haigwood said that he didn't know the free service existed before his interview Wednesday but acknowledged that now, "this is something, honestly that I will I will pursue for myself and my entire family. Absolutely."
He hopes the more widespread this resource becomes, the better classroom experiences can be for everyone.
"We teach not not for ourselves, we teach for students we're here for students," Haigwood said.
The Arkansas Department of Education is also pushing this resource on their social media platforms, where more they have linked more information on how public school teachers and staff can use this service.