Center Line students help their peers in poster project

CENTER LINE — Several Center Line High School students are doing what they can to help their peers who might be struggling with mental health issues.

The Macomb County Health Department and psychology students from the high school’s Health and Human Services Academy recently completed a collaborative project in which the students developed posters with messages that promote positive behavioral health.

The psychology students worked in class to create adolescent-focused behavioral health images designed to encourage youth to seek help with mental health concerns or substance use. More than 25 projects were submitted, and the four Center Line High School projects were selected to be published in print and social media.   

The four posters chosen were: “Speak Up,” by Samiat Hasan; “54Y 50METHING,” by Arienna Young and Miles Waugh; “7:45 Nevaeh,” by Jaclyn Kupraszewicz; and “Don’t Smoke Your Fruits,” by Nik Ferrin and Trent Zielinski.

The poster project aligns with Healthy Macomb’s recently published 2024-2028 Community Health Improvement Plan in which behavioral health was identified as a priority area. Healthy Macomb is a partnership between the Macomb County Health Department and more than 25 organizations, agencies, and community members dedicated to identifying and creating solutions that address health concerns in Macomb County. A main component for the plan is a community health assessment which identifies the most prevalent health issues among community members.

“Our assessment was able to capture the voices of more than 6,500 adults through surveys and outreach activities to gather input from county residents,” said Maria Swiatkowski, division director for community health planning and promotion at the Macomb County Health Department, in a prepared statement. “However, youth have historically been underrepresented in the assessment and engagement process. In our 2023 assessment cycle we were able to escalate the involvement of youth, and concerns about mental health was a common theme. Getting students involved in the design and development of behavioral health messages allows them to be a part of positive change we are looking to promote through the Community Health Improvement Plan.”

For more information on Healthy Macomb and the Community Health Improvement Plan workgroups, visit macombgov.org and click on the Health and Community Services page.