SOUTH DEERFIELD — As schools continue to address the mental and social-emotional needs of students following the pandemic, Frontier Regional School is inviting parents and caregivers to a presentation featuring a specialist who focuses on anxiety disorders in adults and children.

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m., Frontier is inviting the public to join Concord, New Hampshire-based licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist Lynn Lyons for a discussion on strategies for addressing anxiety and social pressures on students. The event is free and open to the public.

“District leadership identified a need to address the social-emotional needs of students seeing an increase in anxiety since the pandemic. Lynn Lyons ... is well respected by educators and those in the profession,” said Frontier Principal George Lanides.

Lyons will discuss how parents can help their students address anxiety, moods and social pressures, such as social media and screen time. She has worked in a private practice for 35 years and travels around the nation as a speaker. Lyons has also appeared in numerous national media outlets and has authored several books.

Additionally, Lyons will be on hand later this month and in January to host professional development workshops for Frontier staff.

The event continues Frontier’s ongoing initiative to help students bounce back from the long-running effects of the pandemic. In recent years, the school has added a part-time adjustment counselor, peer mentoring, new curriculum, support groups for middle school students, an anonymous bullying reporting system, bystander training for eighth graders, and professional development on microagressions, student executive functioning and “multi-tiered systems of supports” in an effort to address academic, social-emotional learning, family engagement and mental health needs, Lanides said.

He added that Frontier has seen a rise in anxiety and other mental health challenges with students, but the school community is coming together to figure out the best route to address these difficulties.

“I think there has been an increase in anxiety since the pandemic and I think we’re working with a group of students and families that are taking their mental health seriously, and that’s a good thing,” Lanides said. “Teachers are definitely open to increasing their tools to help out with the stresses that were brought out for everyone during the COVID years, and I feel that we have seen an openness and a deep sense of caring on behalf of our staff to address these concerns.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.