School ‘Wellness Centers’ Could Be an Answer to Soaring Mental Health Needs in California

Responding to a surge in student anxiety and depression — exacerbated by the pandemic — a state commission has called for California schools to move quickly to become “wellness centers” addressing mental and physical health needs among K-12 students and their families.

Through agreements with nonprofits and government health agencies, schools would offer psychological services, basic medical care and other services to help families navigate trauma and other challenges, according to a recently released report by the state Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.

The report, Every Young Heart and Mind: Schools as Centers of Student Wellness, cites a sharp increase in young people’s mental health needs over the past decade or so, due in part to the prevalence of social media, rising rates of poverty that have put stress on families, and an uptick in disasters such as wildfires and floods. The pandemic, which has led to school campus closures and economic hardship for millions in California, has also contributed to students’ feelings of despair.

Because of the pandemic, the state needs to start providing school districts with step-by-step guidance immediately, with changes in place as soon as possible, the report said. The Legislature and Gov. Newsom will have final say on whether and how the recommendations will be implemented.

According to the report, 1 in 6 high school students in California has considered suicide in the past year, and 1 in 3 report feeling chronically sad. LGBT students and low-income Black and Latino students experienced higher rates in both of those categories, and were less likely to receive services intended to help them, the report said.

The commission’s findings follow an October report by State Auditor Elaine Howle on the increasing rate of youth suicide in California, and the need for teachers and other school staff to be trained to recognize depression and suicidal behavior among students. The youth suicide rate in California jumped 15% between 2009 and 2018, according to the audit, while none of the 1,034 districts and county offices of education surveyed said they had adequate mental health professionals on staff.

California has long lagged behind other states in the number of K-12 school counselors, who handle academic tasks like scheduling classes but also issues like campus climate and student mental health. California currently has the fifth-highest student-to-counselor ratio in the country, at 612-to-1, according to the American School Counselors Association. The association recommends a ratio of 250-to-1.

Still, the ratio is better than it was a few years ago. California schools have increased their counseling staffs by 30% in the past six years, according to the California Department of Education, in an effort to address growing mental health needs among young people.

School districts say they would hire more counselors, psychologists and social workers, but are stymied by funding shortfalls. The commission’s report addresses this. The cost of the “wellness centers” would be covered mostly by other agencies, not the schools or districts.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has also been studying ways for schools to broaden their mental health services. In June, Thurmond formed a committee of counseling experts to offer guidance for schools on how to help families, teachers and students. Meanwhile, the California Department of Education has provided mental health guidance to schools during the pandemic.

Excerpted from ” School ‘Wellness Centers’ Could Be an Answer to Soaring Mental Health Needs in California” in EdSource. Read the full article online.

Source: EdSource | School ‘Wellness Centers’ Could Be an Answer to Soaring Mental Health Needs in California, https://edsource.org/2020/school-wellness-centers-could-be-an-answer-to-soaring-mental-health-needs-in-california/644857 | © 2020 EdSource

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