Mission Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) counselors just received a brand new, straight off the press book, entitled “You can do it, Chickadee” written by Maria Luisa Salcines and Maelia Salcines. This mother and daughter duo wrote this book about how their main character named Chickadee struggles with depression and anxiety.
“We are very excited that we were able to purchase this book for all our counselors to use as a resource for students and parents that may be suffering from depression and anxiety,” states Jesse Treviño, Director of Student Services/Guidance & Counseling. “We know that the pandemic has made this year extremely difficult especially with many of us having to cope with so much loss.”
In this book, Chickadee usually likes to play outside but suddenly doesn’t have the energy to get out of bed. Chickadee’s mom tells her to just “take one step, two step, three step, four.” It is with this encouragement that Chickadee was able to get up and out of bed. As Chickadee is about to leave out the door, her mom reminds her to take her pills that she needs for her depression.
This project was extremely meaningful for the two authors because Maelia had to face her own mental health battle. She suffered from depression that was due to a chemical imbalance in her body. Her depression first surfaced in high school, but it wasn’t until she attended St. Edward’s University that her depression really took a toll. Her parents witnessed first-hand her rapid weight loss that alarmed them, and they were able to seek help.
“This is a great tool for our counselors to use to talk to our students about social emotional health and an opportunity for them to open up about their feelings without being embarrassed,” states Dr. Carol G. Perez, Superintendent. “Our district is committed to meeting our students' needs including providing the tools necessary for maintaining their social emotional health so that they can continue to succeed academically.
Mission CISD has counselors on every campus, five Licensed Professional Counselors and grant funded transitional coaches that provide support for our students and parents. If you would like more information, please contact the district’s Student Services department at (956) 323-5578.