Policy Brief for Social Policy Graduate Course.

1. Adolescent
Mental Health
The Responsibilities of
our School System
Increasing amounts of children are suffering needlessly because the
very institutions and systems that were created to take care of them are
not meeting their emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs.
According to the Surgeon General’s 1999 report on Mental Health,
“One in five children and adolescents experiences the signs and
symptoms of a DSM-IV disorder during the course of a year”. The
document reports that an estimated 6 to 9 million youngsters with
serious emotional disturbances are not receiving the help they need-
especially from low-income families. The reality for many large urban
schools is that well-over 50% of their students manifest significant
learning, behavior and emotional problems. The report warns of the
inadequacies of the current mental health system and that the situation
will worsen because of swelling demographics that are resulting in
more older Americans and children and adolescents with MH-related
concerns. Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of
2014 (S.2872) amends the Public Health Service Act to strengthen and
improve intervention efforts. This bill will require the U.S. Secretary of
Health and Human Services to establish a program to award grants to
expand mental health crisis assistance programs. I personally implore
you, Arne Duncan, and the U.S. Department of Education to support
this legislation.
I. Executive Summary
Arne Duncan
U.S. Secretary of Education
Department of Education
Mental Health in
Schools & S.2872
Alexandra Rupp
California State University,
Northridge
Master of Social Work Program
To
From
December 1, 2014

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Should public school systems
provide mental health services
to students?
1
The Facts
§ 52 million students in the U.S.A
(SSWAA, 2013)
§ 25% of children and adolescents
experience depression, anxiety
or substance abuse disorders in
a given year (CHHCS, 2013)
§ 1 in 5 students (ages 9 to 17) are
seen as experiencing the signs
and symptoms of a DSM-IV
disorder during the course of a
year (ACA, 2013)
§ 2.4 million youths report using
illegal drugs within a given year
§ 50% of students at large urban
schools are manifesting
significant behavior, learning,
and emotional problems (SMHP,
2014)
§ 4 out of 5 students don’t receive
the mental health services and
help they need! (SMHP, 2014)
§ 13-20% of children living in the
U.S. experience a mental illness
and surveillance over the past
two decades has shown the
prevalence of these
The Reality of these trends: the
mental health problems of most
youngsters are not rooted in
internal pathology. Many
troubling symptoms would not
develop if environmental
circumstances were
appropriately different!
2
II. Statement
of the Issue
III. Background
In order for students to succeed and schools to function
satisfactorily, mental health concerns must be addressed!
Mentally healthy children and adolescents develop the
ability to experience a range of emotions in appropriate and
constructive ways: possess positive self-esteem and a
respect for others; and harbor a deep sense of security and
trust in themselves and the world. Mentally healthy
children and adolescents are able to function in
developmentally appropriate ways in the contexts of self,
family, peers, school, and community. Building on a
foundation of personal interaction and support, mentally
healthy children and adolescents develop the ability to
initiate and maintain meaningful relationships and learn to
function productively in the world (National Center for
Education in Maternal and Child Health, 2012).
Mental health services for children and youth must be
accessible. Schools are ideal settings to provide mental
health services to children and youth. Virtually every
community has a school and most youngsters spend six
hours a day there with trained, caring professionals
(SSWAA, 2014).
The school environment is:
• Tailored to learning and development
• A natural context for prevention and intervention
• Connected to community resources
• Familiar and accessible to students and parents
• Designed to promote communication between home
and school

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“ The United States of
America has no greater
responsibility than
safeguarding the well-
being of our children.
Ensuring safe schools
and communities is
paramount to this
responsibility” (SSWAA,
2013).
The U.S. Department of Education needs to advocate/integrate research-
based public policies and programs that improve academic and social
outcomes for children and youth.
IV. Pre-existing Policies
The following represents policy actions toward effective mental
health services in schools by the state of California:
• Early Mental Health Initiative
School funding provided by the state to support early
intervention and prevention programs regarding mental
health
• Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013
Amends the Public Health Service Act to revise a
community children and violence program to assist local
communities and schools in applying a public health
approach to mental health services
All children and
adolescents should
have consistent, equal
access to mental health
services in a school
setting.
The Big issue
Although steps have been taken by policy makers to
implement mental health services as a public school
obligation, but the number of children who do not receive the
psycho, emotional, and behavioral health they need is still
dangerously high!

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123
1) Increase access to mental health services and supports
in school.
Increased access to MH services and supports in schools,
including the infusion of social-emotional learning in our
classroms, is vital to improving the physical and psychological
safety of our students and schools, as well as academic
performance and problem solving skills. Opposing arguments
might impose that funding for these services will take away from the financial implications of a
school’s main function to provide adequate education. Although, MH support is necessary for a
student to be academically succesful.
2) Develop safe and supportive schools and implement initiatives that consider both
psychological and physical safety.
Maintain safe school environments that promote learning, psychological health, and student
success. We need to ensure that adquate learning supports and policies are present to provide a
continuum of services that respond to the needs of all students.
3) Establish trained school safety and crisis teams
Training should encompass ongoing prevention and early intervention as well as response and
recoveryin the even the unpreventable occurs. The primary goal should be to reinforce learning as
well as safety.
V. A Call to
Action
VI. Recommendation
By supporting S.2872, the U.S. Department of Education will aid in providing the titles
called into action as listed above. Strengthening and improving intervention efforts is a
tiered process rooted in educating parents, teachers, professionals, and the community.
Early intervention is crucial in the resiliency of our youth and the U.S. Department of
Education plays a vital role in student success.
References
Adelman, H., Taylor, L., Weist, M., Adelsheim, S., Freeman, B. (1999). Mental health in schools: A federal initiative. Children's
Services, 2(2), 95-115. Retrieved November 9, 2014 from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.csun.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9d2bac20-fb7e-4995-b0f3-
5ebf6a067839%40sessionmgr4001&vid=1&hid=4104
CHHCS (2013). The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. Retrieved November 10, 2014 from www.healthinschools.org.
Moses-Zirkes, S., Hurley, C. M., Wrobel, G. (1997). From Compass to Road Map: Developing Comprehensive Policy for
Delivering Mental Health Services in Schools. National Association of School Psychologists. Retrieved November 9, 2014
from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED423474.pdf.
SAMHSA (2014). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved November 20, 2014 from
www.samhsa.gov.
SSWAA (2013). School Social Work Association of America. Retrieved November 9, 2014 from www.sswaa.org.