By David Leffler, The Washington Post, August 19, 2019
At 9 on a chilly February morning in Austin, Elizabeth Minne met in her office with a former counseling client and her mother. The three were all smiles, catching up for the first time in ages. As their laughter faded, they recalled their weighty introduction five years before, when Minne’s mission to create a comprehensive mental health-care system for Austin’s schools was still in its infancy — and her client, Sarah Luna Newcomer, was a teenager who wanted to die.
The room in Crockett High School was carefully arranged to evoke an atmosphere of calm for Minne’s clients, its walls lined with colorful tapestries illuminated by the warm glow of softly lit lamps. Many of the people treated here are coping with severe mental health conditions and extensive trauma. For some, this is the only safe place in their lives.
The abrupt ringing of the bell shattered the serenity, a signal that Friday classes were underway.
The abrupt ringing of the bell shattered the serenity, a signal that Friday classes were underway.
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