[Brief] Terrace Metrics Behavioral Health Screener starts Nov. 1

Phiona Smith, Writer

On Nov. 1, the Terrace Metrics Behavioral Health Screener began at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The program will take place during personalization classes for all grades at MSD. The assessment is designed to examine both the social and emotional strengths and needs of students in grades 9-12. With the data collected, the assessment will give guidance counselors the ability to identify students that could possibly be in need of help from counselors and students with strong social-emotional development.

MSD held a parent informational meeting on Oct. 26 with the President of Terrace Metrics, Dr. Rich Gilman who explained the purpose of the screener.

The Terrace Metrics Behavioral Health screening will assess the needs of students along with their academic data. Terrace Metrics is the key to unlocking performance at not only individual but organizational levels too.

This system allows administrators to easily measure, identify, deliver and help the behavioral health status of students. Not only does this system help schools, but contributes to many other organizations as well, by helping to monitor and measure employee behavioral health.

Law enforcement officers, paramedics, EMTs and firefighters build the resilience they need to contribute to helping others. Universities are also benefiting through collaboration with administrators to monitor student and staff behavioral health.

Some students find this screener system to be serviceable while others find it to be unnecessary.

“I think Terrace Metrics is a very beneficial system for not only students but administrators too, it allows administrators a way to obtain the behavioral health status of students, which will help to assess the proper help if needed,” junior Alexandra Senior said.

After students complete the assessment, the systems generate and transmit individualized reports that can be assessed by school response teams.

“I feel like the Terrace Metrics Health Screener is needless being that we already have a whole canvas course designated for wellness and mental health. Not to mention our access to guidance counselors and peer counselors,” freshman Shayeeza Chevalier said.

After the individualized reports are transmitted, they are accompanied by lesson plans and videos designated for their specific results. Demo’s of this network can be found at TerraceMetrics.org.

This behavioral screening is designed to positively impact educational outcomes and push students to work to their fullest potential.