NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis announced a partnership with the Baltimore County Public Schools system to launch the Rising Together mental health screening program at 15 schools in the county. The program is designed to help schools identify mental health risks such as depression and anxiety among students and connect them and their families with support.
Program Implementation and Structure
The Rising Together initiative will see trained health officials administer a questionnaire to students to determine a baseline for their mental health. Officials will later conduct check-ins to see how students are faring. According to Lewis, the mental health screening operates exactly like an NFL physical: “You screen them again. They’re off a little bit here. Now we know how to correct it. I make it that simple because it really is that simple.”
School Distribution and Expansion Plans
BCPS Superintendent Myriam Rogers announced the program would run at nine elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, and one academy. Lewis’ organization, the Ray of Hope Foundation, holds similar partnerships with other school districts in Florida, Colorado, Michigan, Louisiana, and New Jersey. Lewis emphasized that before the program can be expanded, the idea is to “test the waters” to see how well the program functions. He said the goal is that if 15 schools show positive results, “I’m calling the governor because we need to do every school.”
Cost and Participation
The program will run at no cost to the county, and parents will have the opportunity to decline participation. Lewis played for the Baltimore Ravens from 1996 to 2012, was known for his leadership role, played 17 consecutive seasons as a linebacker, and won two Super Bowls, with a Super Bowl MVP in 2000. The participating schools represent communities across Baltimore County.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://patch.com/maryland/perryhall/nfl-hall-famer-partners-15-bcps