When I was in high school in the 90s, I didn’t know what mental health was. Nobody talked about it. When I started exhibiting strange behaviors at this age, I didn’t have the language to explain it and my parents had to go off-campus to get help.
Today there are many children and teenagers, like me, who experience emotional and behavioral changes and do not have a place to talk about it. Still others have no place to talk about bullying, violence, and racial and gender injustice. Children feel vulnerable to these issues and need a safe, confidential place to vent what’s on their mind. The National Center for School Mental Health estimates that 12 to 22 percent of children and youth have a diagnosable mental health condition.
School-based mental health centers should be funded and respected as a safe place to address mental health issues.
I understand the counterargument about the value of these centers as well as parents not wanting to expose children and teenagers to Critical Race Theory and Gender Studies. However, mental health should not be inclusive and non-partisan and focused on one belief.
Mental health centers save lives, prevent school violence and provide a place for children and teenagers to share what’s going on without shame.
According to a study by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, teenagers are more likely to access health-based services at on-site school clinics. Benefits of such clinics in schools are to help develop social skills, leadership, self-awareness, and caring relationships with adults and the school community. These centers will improve without shortages and indiscipline problems.
Rural and urban school districts often have short mental health services that require students to travel at least an hour to get outside mental health services. Many families cannot afford to outsource because of inflation and the cost of living. Many students are uninsured or underinsured and mental health is not important to these families. In addition to the cost of outside services, it takes time to look for outside service providers after homework and school activities.
Municipalities need safe, inclusive, and supportive natural environments where children and families can access prevention, early intervention, and treatment in school-based programs.
Legislature should support its implementation. Public Law 15-59 It will be used to create school-based mental health centers in all our schools.
Alexis Zinkerman is a writer Mile minute products in West Hartford.
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