It is time that all schools begin to implement programs that provide access to mental health services for students. Mental health is an essential part of our daily lives and without proper access to mental health care, many are impacted by this in our society. Individuals who do not have health care, primarily low-income families, often are unable to receive care that will attend their mental needs, which can even affect their work and/or school performance. Access to mental health services is a need in our communities, not a want. Therefore, supporting bill H.R. 5469, also known as Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act of 2019, will be vital to the mental health of children and adolescents in schools. One major aspect of H.R. 5469, is that they will implement a school-based mental health program that “incorporates positive behavioral interventions, family engagement, student treatment and multigenerational supports to foster the health and development of children, prevent mental health disorders, and ameliorate the impact of trauma” (2019).

Advocating for policies that will implement school-based mental health programs, and address the problem of lack of access to mental health services for children and adolescents is crucial. According to an article by the World Health Organization, “promoting psychological well-being and protecting adolescents from adverse experiences and risk factors that may impact their potential to thrive are critical for their well-being during adolescence and for their physical and mental health in adulthood” (para. 1, 2019). As a future social worker, I believe it is our job, and the job of our nation to advocate and address this need that is vital to our children, adolescents, and adults. Without the appropriate implementation of mental health services, we are doing more harm to our citizens than good.

World Health Organization. (2019). Adolescent mental health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health

Mental health is a part of everybody’s lives, and it is something that requires attention, just as much as our physical health does. Currently, in the world there is a pandemic going on that has forced schools to transition into virtual learning which has affected the learning of students. Mass school shootings have also impacted the lives of students and their families. The reason why I mention this pandemic and mass school shootings is that these traumatic events have a major impact on the mental health of children, adolescents, and adults. Mental health services and programs should be made available for students in our schools that address their mental health needs.

According to Dr.Dikel, “mental health disorders can affect concentration, memory, on-task behavior, self-control, judgment, problem-solving abilities” (para. 3). This statement provides insight into how greatly mental health disorders can impact the cognition and behavior of a student. Moreover, students with mental health issues “are likely to have poor outcomes:  higher dropout, arrest, and unplanned pregnancy rates, lower employment and post-secondary education rates, etc.” (Dikel, para. 3).

On the other hand, according to an article by Kevin Mahnken, “since the onset of these problems can be difficult to detect, and millions of families lack health insurance, children must often rely on mental health resources provided by their schools” (Mahnken, para. 4). Children often rely on schools for these services, but networking and partnerships are other ways to bring stakeholders together to gather and share resources to address the need for mental health services in communities. Moreover, it is also essential that programs are not just developed, but that they are also evaluated within a certain timeframe to ensure that students receiving the appropriate services and ensure that the interventions are effective.

References

Mahnken, K. (2017). The hidden mental health crisis in America’s schools: Millions of kids not receiving services they need. Retrieved from https://www.the74million.org/the-hidden-mental-health-crisis-in-americas-schools-millions-of-kids-not-receiving-services-they-need/

Dikel, W. (n.d.). Providing mental health services in public schools – what educators need to know. Retrieved from http://www.williamdikel.com/providing-mental-health-services-in-public-schools-what-educators-need-to-know.html

Currently, the bill H.R. 5469, remains in the same position; the last action was on December 17, 2019 when the bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This bill addresses three main topics; they are categorized as Title I – Mental Health of Students, Title II – Health Equity and Accountability, and Title III – Other Provisions. The section of mental health of students in the bill focuses on describing the three components that make up the program. The three components are to provide awareness of trauma and its impacts on the individuals, the second component is to train staff so they can be able to identify the signs of trauma in students. The last component is to implement positive interventions and treatment that “supports to foster the health and development of children” (H.R. 5469, 2019).

            In addition it is essential that this bill continues to move and be passed, because it will impact the population of children and adolescence, specifically those who are in need of mental health services, or those who have experienced trauma. According to the article Improving Mental Health in Schools, Rosen and Cowan state that, “among children who receive mental health services, an estimated 70% to 80% of them initially receive those services at school” (2014, p. 9). This article explains how that in schools, youth are experiencing mental illnesses, which demonstrates the need for more mental health programs in schools. Furthermore, in another article the authors state that, “prevalence estimates indicate that 20% of children younger than 18 years of age have mental health concerns and the percentage increases to 25% for children in adverse environments” (Reinke et al., 2011, p. 1).

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

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