MIDDLEBORO — The last few years and their challenges related to the pandemic have been stressful for many students.

Adults who work in the schools have not been immune either.

Their whole world was rocked for a few years,’’ Katelyn McSweeney said.

Her newly created position aims to help the school community weather those choppy waters.

McSweeney, a licensed clinical social worker, was hired this year to serve as mental health and wellness liaison for the Middleboro schools. 

She began her efforts by focusing on the adults, ensuring that school staff feel supported emotionally through stressful times in education. Changes in routine and behaviors and limited staff all contribute to stressors that educators experience, she said. 

Her role involves “just being a person to chat with’’ who is not a supervisor or directly involved in their day-to-day work. Having an “outside perspective’’ can make staff members “more willing to share their feelings.’’

“Support is so important,’’ she said. “Feeling supported, talking through challenges and problems.’’

Her daily schedule involves spending time where teachers hang out. By becoming a familiar, friendly face in their lunch room or the break room where copies are made, “I can have conversations that way, build some rapport.’’

Staff members in today’s educational system are expected to do more than teach, McSweeney said. They also are tasked with managing behavioral issues and being mandated reporters, among other roles, she said.

“There’s a lot of hats they wear other than teaching their curriculum,’’ she said. “We expect teachers to do it all.’’

And as schools struggle with short staffing, teachers can find themselves with less preparation time as they spend more of their schedule helping colleagues, McSweeney said.

“There’s so many holes to fill,’’ she said. And it begs a question: “How can we get creative with solutions?’’

She is attempting to answer that question by thinking of ways to help staff tackle stress creatively and with a sense of fun.

During a recent professional development day, McSweeney offered a range of activities and programs, from food trucks on site to learning about yoga, breath work and the benefits of regular cardio.

Programs also shared advice on how to best help students who are grieving and the challenges of students who might be exposed to drugs.

“We had something for everyone,’’ McSweeney said. 

The variety, she noted, was intentional. “If we give you the space to do something you’re interested in, maybe you’ll get out of your comfort zone and bring self-care into your life and your classroom.’’

And choices matter, director of student services Kevin Avitabile said, because “how I deal with stress is not the same as how you deal with stress. As a school, we’re a melting pot.’’ 

Physical and mental health are both important factors to staying strong, and the two often dovetail, she said.

“If you’re not taking care of your mental health, that can make an impact on your physical health,’’ she said. 

She hopes these programs, and her support, will provide staff members with help to manage stress and develop “the ability to be present.’’

The position held by McSweeney, who has master’s degrees in educational leadership and policy and in social work, will evolve and eventually morph into working directly on student issues, Avitabile said. 

But for now, Avitabile and McSweeney agreed, supporting staff will eventually allow them to bring their best selves to the classroom, which will in turn help students. 

“We often tell the staff to take care of themselves, but when they’re stressed out, there aren’t the resources,’’ he said. By providing McSweeney’s position, “we want to give them reasons to take care of themselves.’’