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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Schools are required to report the number of students served, demographic information and test scores to the Iowa Department of Education. However, the state education department does not collect data on many measures related to mental health.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2018. Bringing services into schools and allowing children to receive mental health treatment is one of the reasons TV9 spoke to.
Heather Doe, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Education, said the department collects information only when it has legal authority to do so. She said a state law passed in 2020 would mandate the collection of information. Therapeutic classesClasses are designed for any student with emotional, social, or behavioral needs that interfere with the student’s ability to learn.
As reported by TV9 on Monday, these medical units are now available in six school districts after funding. In 2021. 10 more districts are planning to create therapeutic units based on the released additional funding In August.
Data from the Cedar Rapids Community School District at the last board meeting showed that about 40% of students referred for mental health services were not receiving services in the 2021-2022 school year.
Maggie Hartzler, director of clinical services at Tanager Place, said those numbers are wrong. Hartzler said she tracks this data and the service line does not reflect those who are not served by the school, such as those who use personal resources or decline services and prefer to focus on people with increasing needs.
“These kids are known for having a difficult time,” Herztler said. “Then where do you get the service from?”
Regardless, she said, there will be a need to hire five more clinics to serve the district, which now has 37 clinics. Hartzler noticed that some staff members were becoming increasingly stressed by the constant demand.
“I think you’ll find individuals who are very depressed and others who aren’t,” she said. “And, I think it depends on the person. But, definitely, the last couple of years have been very challenging.
Our KCRG-TV9 i9 investigative team requested similar information from three other school districts through a public records request. However, no district was able to provide a similar comparison.
A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Education told TV9 it does not collect information related to referrals for mental health services.
Amy Reynolds, a professor of counseling, school and educational psychology at the University at Buffalo, said the lack of data makes it difficult to understand the need for mental health services and solutions in the state. General information related to student health is just as important as academic information because it allows schools to better develop students.
“Schools shouldn’t just be about academic results, schools should be concerned about the whole child,” Reynolds said. “And even if you’re just looking at academic results, academic results have a negative impact on mental health issues.”
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