School Mental Health Center Opens in Peabody

Thanks to a partnership with Advocates, students at Peabody’s Higgins Middle School can now access a space dedicated to their emotional and mental wellness. The Student Resource & Support Center, which opened in September, is open both during and after school for drop-in and scheduled appointments. 

The support center is the latest development in Advocates’ decade-long relationship with the Peabody public schools. Clinicians from Advocates have worked for years in each of the district’s schools, offering therapy to students and support to staff and families. 

After the tragic suicide of an eighth-grade student in spring 2025, the team at Higgins Middle School took action. Just months later, the School Resource and Support Center opened its doors to the school’s 1,300 students. 

Advocates clinical supervisor Lauren Chianciola is on-site at the center three days per week.  “It’s a place where support is not just available, but accessible, familiar, and part of the fabric of their school experience,” says Lauren. “At the SRSC, we can help students build on the community supports that already exist in Peabody, break down barriers that prevent students and families from accessing mental health care and provide consultation to school staff because we know supporting students takes an entire school community.” 

In addition to Lauren, two Advocates clinicians work in the center full-time, Monday through Friday. The clinicians at Higgins specialize in working with adolescents and support students dealing with a wide range of concerns, including bullying, anxiety, stress, and other personal challenges. In addition to counseling, clinicians provide referrals to community resources and providers. 

Reflecting on the importance of embedding support in a space accessible to teens, Lauren shares, “At a time when students face growing challenges—social, emotional, and academic—centers like this are not just valuable; they are essential.”