In the wake of the Parkland, Florida, shooting that claimed the lives of 17 students, questions about the availability of mental health care in the public school systems have surfaced, forcing lawmakers and school leaders to take a closer look at the issue.

Sharon Willis, the executive director of The Enrichment Center, an organization in Madison that provides mental health counselors to schools, has a personal stake in ramping up mental health services to students.

Willis was the principal at Discovery Middle School when, in 2010, a ninth-grade student brought a gun to school and shot and killed one of his classmates.

“At that time, The Enrichment Center sent a wonderful counselor to our school,” Willis said. “She was able to help my students and teachers work through their grief, lingering fear and the disbelief of having a student — a friend — murdered in our school … our school, an excellent school with wonderful students, families and teachers, where something like this should have never happened.”

The Enrich and Impact counselor from The Enrichment Center remained at Discovery through the remainder of the school year.

The experience left an indelible mark on Willis, who retired in 2016 after 39 years of teaching and immediately accepted a position as the executive director of the organization.

“It is extremely important for students to have access to professional counselors,” she said. “Bullying has taken on a life of its own through social media. When I was a student, you could make a silly mistake or have a bad hair day, but it was forgotten after the weekend.”

“Due to social media, mistakes are shown over and over again, and students feel they can never overcome the mistake,” she added.

Although Willis was aware that some of her former students suffered from depression and thoughts of suicide, the recent rash of school shootings makes the availability of on-campus professional counseling all the more relevant.

The nonprofit organization provides counselors on campus, free of charge, removing the transportation and financial barriers that often prevent students from getting the help they need.

“The Enrichment Center counselors are trained in emotional health and can provide support by walking with kids through the serious and delicate situations that students are facing in this day and time,” Willis said.

She went on to explain that an enrichment counselor becomes part of the school culture and is trained to recognize serious mental health issues. They build relationships with teachers, administrators and most importantly, students.

Having established relationships with students is critical, according to Willis. She believes lives can be saved if intervention and treatment occur early enough.

Currently, the Enrichment Center has programs in five schools in Madison and 14 in Huntsville. Willis hopes to bring her professionally licensed counselors to Limestone County.

She plans to reach out to Limestone County and Athens City School leaders in the near future but said funding issues remain a problem for the organization. The Enrichment Center is currently funded through several sources, including fundraisers, grants and financial support from school partners.