Albuquerque Public Schools
Special Bulletin: Counselors and Nurses Collaborate on Messages for Body and Mind
Friendly competition highlights the power of collaboration in promoting student mental and physical wellness.
For decades, students from grades K through 12 have been taught to eat healthy foods, get lots of outdoor exercise and sleep well every night. Only in recent years have schools begun to focus more intentionally on student mental health and its connection to physical wellbeing.
APS Counseling and Nursing staff worked together to create bulletin boards that highlight student mental and physical health and wellness. Participants were encouraged to include clear, student-friendly messaging and to use creative visuals that promote positivity, healthy coping strategies, and help-seeking. Schools were given until February 13 to submit images of their collaborative boards; the winners were announced February 27.
Congratulations to the bulletin board winners at Madison Middle School:
- Nurse Sheila Su
- Health Assistant Danielle Goins
- Counselors Lindsey Berg and Jennifer Minarsich Noble
The competition stemmed from a collaboration between District Crisis Resource Counselor Jen Hart and Behavioral Health Resource Nurse Maygan Grothaus. After presenting together at the 2025 NM Student Health Head to Toe Conference, highlighting the collaboration between Counseling and Nursing, Hart suggested creating a friendly competition to promote teamwork between the two groups.
“The activity was designed to encourage collaboration between Counseling and Nursing, while also promoting important wellness messages for students,” Grothaus said. “Student mental health and physical health often overlap, making this partnership especially important in ensuring students receive comprehensive and timely support.
Hart described this collaboration as “something we intentionally model in our work, and we see that partnership reflected across our schools. A multidisciplinary approach strengthens the care and support we provide, ultimately improving both student well-being and educational outcomes,” Hart concluded.