WHYY
By
School District of Philadelphia. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
The School District of Philadelphia says there are signs that student mental health and well-being are under increasing strain.
District leaders say calls to Philly Hopeline, the crisis hotline launched a year ago, are getting longer due to losses from the pandemic, gun violence, and racial trauma.
The hotline, which offers free mental health services to staff, students, and family members, is staffed by counselors from the Uplift Center for Grieving Children.
Early in the pandemic, most hotline callers expressed feelings of isolation and anxiety, according to Darcy Walker Krause, executive director of the Uplift Center.