Legislators listen to Las Vegas teen’s idea to improve students’ mental health
Mental health advocate Rob Barsel often preaches about the positive effects of a regimented schedule.
For Barsel, 17, a junior at The Meadows School, it’s worked wonders for helping treat his generalized anxiety disorder. He mostly wakes up and goes to sleep at the same time every day, and schedules his meals. His after-school hobbies include debate club and grandiose displays of sleight-of-hand card tricks. Homework and studying are musts too, he said.
And for the better part of the past year, Barsel has carved out a new routine in his schedule: working with Nevada lawmakers to craft a bill that would standardize mental health education across the state.
Read more about Roberts efforts below:
Bill aims to tighten mental health curriculum needs.
Robert Barsel, a junior attending The Meadows School in Las Vegas, lost his father to a heart attack when he was 5 years old. He began experiencing anxiety in his classroom, and his mother took him to the nonprofit Adam’s Place to help him embrace his grief and gain the life skills he would need as a young man.
The impact took hold, and he became a mentor as early as 12 years old to other children in need.
Barsel, a teen committee member with nonprofit Hope Means Nevada, has put forth Senate Bill 313 designed to raise awareness for better mental health standards in Nevada school curricula, provide resources to workers who can help young people coping with thoughts about suicide and help teachers complete courses in mental health education.
Nevada Governor Declares May 2022 Mental Health Awareness Month
Working with the legislature, Robert has achieved the following proclamation: May 2022 proclaimed Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month in Nevada.
Additionally, he has proposed Nevada legislation to incorporate a more robust Mental Health curriculum for K-12 in the 2023 legislative session.
Local Teen Named to Dragon Kim Foundation 2022 Fellowship Class
Las Vegas resident, Robert Barsel, 16, a tenth grade student at The Meadows School, has been named a member of the 2022 Fellowship Class of the Orange County-based nonprofit – dragonkimfoundation.org – a social entrepreneurship incubator for high school youth.
He will receive three weekends of leadership training and hands-on guidance from mentors from the community, plus a grant of up to $5,000 from the Foundation to implement a social service project in his local community this summer.
Rob’s “Coping Skills for Kids” project is designed to educate elementary, middle, and high school students about healthy coping skills, teaching them to identify and articulate their feelings and employ healthy ways to deal with difficult emotions. He plans to write, illustrate, and publish a workbook for children that teaches them about emotions and prepares them to deal with hard times they may have in life. He also plans to develop a website to offer the workbook to kids everywhere.
“I am thrilled to be selected as a member of the 2022 Fellowship class and look forward to refining and then implementing my project to make a positive impact on my local and hopefully national community,” said Rob.
Local Teen Receives Grant to Distribute Coping Skills Workbooks to Improve Mental Health in Students
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