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Mental Health in Schools
The document discusses the issue of mental health in schools and the need to address it. It notes that 1 in 5 students experience mental health issues but only 20% receive needed services. Several organizations are working to promote the Mental Health in Schools Act, which would expand access to mental health services and support in schools. The act aims to help students dealing with trauma, violence, and mental health problems succeed academically.
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Mental Health in Schools
- 1. Mental Health in Schools AnIssue and Social Need regarding the health and wellbeing of our child & adolescent students. By Alexandra Rupp
- 2. Social Problem Presentation MentalHealth in Schools Alexandra Rupp SWRK 525: Social Work Policy and Service November 17, 2014 Nikola Alenkin, LCSW
- 3. The Audience forthis presentation Public and Private School Personnel Elementary, Middle, and High School Teachers and Staff School Board Members State elected Officials Members of the U.S. Federal Government U.S. Congress U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- 4. The Issues Highstudent and teacher drop out rates Continuing achievement gap High number of low performing schools Lack of resources, ill-trained and informed educators Growing behavioral concerns in the classroom Escalation of school violence and mass shooting in the school environment Increase in trauma events experienced by students Physical and Sexual abuse, death, violence Proliferation of mental health issues in children and adolescents Substance abuse, delinquency, emotional upset, relationship difficulties Rise of risk-producing conditions that can be barriers to learning
- 5. The Problem inFocus Mental Health in schools is being marginalized! Diverse school and community resources are attempting to address complex, multifaceted, and overlapping psychosocial and mental health concerns in highly fragmented and marginalized ways. Why? Schools are not in the mental health or social service business Their mandate is to educate-Thus, they tend to view any activity not directly related to instruction as a secondary responsibility (SMHP, 2014) Mental Health Stigma People term mental health with mental illness Mental health is defined, de facto, as the absence of problems There is a lack of emphasis on promoting positive social and emotional development for all This is unfortunate given that the problems experienced by youngsters are psychosocial (i.e. stem from socio-cultural and economic factors) not psychopathological and often can be countered through promotion and prevention This has led to redundancy, inappropriate competition, and inadequate results.
- 6. The Facts 52million 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 conditions to be increasing 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!
- 7. Risk-Producing Conditions causing LearningBarriers & Mental Health Concerns Neighborhood Extreme economic deprivation Community disorganization Violence, drugs, etc. Minority and/or immigrant status Family Chronic Poverty Conflict/disruptions/violence Substance abuse Models problem behavior Inadequate provision for quality child care School and Peers Poor quality school Negative encounters with teachers Negative encounters with peers &/or inappropriate peer models Individual Factors Medical Problems Neurodevelopmental delay Psychophysiological problems Difficult temperament & adjustment problems Inadequate nutrition
- 8. Who is beingimpacted by the lack of mental health services? The Future of our Society, Child and Adolescent Students
- 9. The Bottom Line Inorder 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)
- 10. The Mental Healthin Schools Act of 2013 The Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013 is a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act, to revise and extend projects relating to children and violence, to provide access to school- based comprehensive mental health programs. The purpose of this act is to ultimately provide more access and comprehensive school-based, mental health services and support. It 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, including by increasing funds and providing for comprehensive school mental health programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, as well as trauma- informed, and age fitting (Mental Health Act, 2013).
- 11. The Mental Healthin Schools Act of 2013 (cont.) Requires a comprehensive school mental health program funded under this Act to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence. The Act will expand access to mental health services in schools. It will establish a grant program to support schools that work with educational and community- based organizations to expand access to mental health services for students. will also provide assistance to schools to train staff, volunteers, families, and other members of the community to recognize the signs of behavioral and mental health problems in students and how to utilize their resources for help. (ACA, 2014)
- 12. Organizations and Institutions workingto address this problem Alliance for Children and Families American Counseling Association American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry American Academy of Pediatrics American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy American Mental Health Counselors Association American Psychiatric Association American Psychoanalytic Association American Psychological Association American School Counselor Association American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry Child Welfare League of America Clinical Social Work Association Confederation of Independent Psychoanalytic Societies Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health Mental Health America School Social Work Association of America National Alliance on Mental Illness National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health National Association for Children’s Behavioral Health National Association of Pupil Services Administrators (NAPSA) National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems National Association of School Psychologists National Association of Social Workers National Association of State Directors of Special Education National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare National Disability Rights Network National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) National PTA And Many, many more…. In addition to this list, an outstanding number of congress men and women, along with other political officials, support the implementation of Mental Health Programs in Schools!
- 13. References ACA (2013). AmericanCounseling Association. Retrieved November 11, 2014 from http://www.counseling.org. Center for Mental Health in Schools (2014). School Mental Health Project (SMHP). Retrieved November 16, 2014 from http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu. CHHCS (2013). The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. Retrieved November 10, 2014 from www.healthinschools.org. Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013, H.R. 628, 113th Cong. (2013). Retrieved November 16, 2014 from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113hr628ih/ pdf/BILLS-113hr628ih.pdf. SAMHSA (2013). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved November 17, 2014 from http://www.samhsa.gov. SSWAA (2013). School Social Work Association of America. Retrieved November 9, 2014 from www.sswaa.org.