Running head: MENTAL HEALTH IN ADULT EDUCATION

Fieldwork Reflection Assignment II

Mental Health in Adult Education
Fredy E. Del Aguila

EDLD 6802
Dr. Maggie Szabo
January 11, 2017
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Mental Health in Adult Education

Providing mental health counseling within adult student activities in the

framework of a dynamic society, particularly in the Hispanic community, is very

important. Hispanics must face several barriers in this country in order to achieve

the America Dream, some of these barriers are: language, raising children in an

unfamiliar culture, securing work, housing, accessing services, transportation,

discrimination, cultural barriers and the biggest of all stress.

WHAT HAPPENED?
Due to the fact that Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing

racial/ethnic group in the United States, in 2004 the Spanish GED program at the

Hayward Adult School was created, in response to the high demand for this high

school equivalency tests, compatible with the Common Core State Standards

accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and employers. However, the passing and

graduation rate was very low, specially on immigrant adult students. During the

2015-2016 school year, the graduation rate increased by 300%, due to changes in

the teaching format and the implementation of mental health workshops as part of

the GED curriculum.

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GED Graduates Per Year

40
35
30
25
20
Number of Students
15
10
5
0
2014 2015 2016

Year

REFLECTION ON WHAT HAPPENED

I. ACQUISITION During the process of curriculum development, in the Spanish

GED program, we considered several factors and barriers that students were

facing in our school, affecting directly in their performance showed in the low

passing rate during the 2014 and 2015 school year. Doing some research on

the Internet, we found that adult students face several mental health

challenges. Depression, among adult students, come in different forms; in a

survey conducted by the Association for University and College Counseling

Center Directors, 36.4% of college students reported they experienced some

level of depression in 2013.

Depression is the number one reason students drop out of school, and

is a gateway issue that, if left untreated, could lead to other symptoms or

suicide. Depression is a common but serious illness that leaves you feeling

despondent and helpless, completely detached from the world. It interferes

with your life, making it difficult to work, study, sleep and eat.
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II. APPLICATION Based on the information found on the Internet and a quick

students survey, I found that many students had depression, stress, anxiety

symptoms, so I contacted La Familia Counseling Services and talked to one of

their professionals. She corroborates my information and we develop

workshops to help students deal with this common issues in our adult student

population. CAPEs 3A
III. ASSIMILATION After the implementation of the mental health workshops as

part of the Spanish GED curriculum, the results were astonishing, the GED

graduation rate went from 9 to 35 students, an improve of almost 300% in

one year. Furthermore, 28 of those students are in college pursuing a career

and doing very well. As a principal I would implement mental health

workshop in all Adult Ed classes as part of the curriculum. CAPEs 2B, 2C, and

2D.
IV. ADAPTATION My reflective thinking based on experience and research, is

that in adult students, depression and anxiety are among the most common

and debilitating illnesses in society and many students experience these

symptoms at some point in their lives. Some students learn how to manage

these symptoms, but many others dont. Visiting a traditional mental health

service may seem both stigmatizing and scary. Unfortunately, adult students,

specially immigrants, are less likely to seek for support due to language, lack

of medical services, or cultural barriers.

One thing I learned from our mental health specialist from La Familia, is

that support from mental health services does not always have to involve

medication or specialist forms of therapy, sometimes workshops is the

simplest solution. This is the approach we just did on the GED in Spanish

program at the Hayward Adult School, we incorporate mental health

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workshops, as part of the GED in Spanish curriculum. The good results are

very encouraging and hopefully the other program will follow this path. As an

Instructional Leader I would implement these workshops as part of any adult

educational program, especially for immigrant students in low income areas.

CAPEs 3B, 3C.