Mental Health Care in Schools

In today's edition of Education Week, there is an interesting article titled, "Schools are the Main Source of Student Mental Health Care. Are They Ready?" (Prothero, 2020). It states that schools "have become the de facto mental health providers for adolescents." It defines the problem noting that "rates of anxiety, depression, and even suicide are going up among adolescents, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or family income." The article also points out that "students are far more likely to seek treatment for mental health issues at school" than anywhere else.

As this becomes an increasing portion of our work, are other parts of our jobs going to be reduced to make time available? The best solution would be to hire more school counselors to reduce student-to-counselor ratios.

To help keep school counselors prepared to handle student needs, our association provides ongoing professional development and support. We have upcoming PD meetings scheduled to cover topics on anxiety and suicide prevention. As important as it is for you to be in your office with your students, it is also a professional responsibility to participate in continued training and development. We hope to see you at future meetings.

You can view this entire article at

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2020/02/schools_student_mental_health_care_are_they_ready.html