A high school implements a comprehensive mental health program: teachers trained to recognize distress, a counselor available for immediate response, classroom curricula teaching emotional regulation, peer support programs, and clear pathways to community mental health services. A student who would have struggled silently gets help early. Her trajectory changes. Another school has no counselor, overwhelmed teachers, and no protocols for mental health concerns. A student in distress falls through every crack until a crisis forces attention that could have been prevented.