8.4 School-Based Human Services Programs
While every state, school district, and individual school is unique, there are some common themes that occur in school programs and initiatives that meet the needs of children and families. These are just a few programs that can support and connect what we can do in human services directly to what happens within school systems. Integration of systems is crucial to help de-silo and demystify support systems for our clients, as many people don’t know how or who to reach out to when they or their families have needs.
Mental Health Programs
The CDC has identified mental health as a leading health issue for children and adolescents. More than one in three students report experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation are experienced by 70 percent of teens age 13 and older.
One in six U.S. youth aged six to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year, and half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14 (National Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI], 2022). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavior problems, anxiety, and depression are among the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children. Yet only about half of youth with mental health conditions receive any kind of treatment.
School-based mental health services bring trained mental health professionals into schools and connect youth and families to more intensive resources in the community. They play an important role in identifying needs and helping children get help early. School-based mental health services may reduce barriers to access for communities of color, immigrant and refugee families, and low-income students.
Sometimes school districts employ mental health staff, such as psychologists, counselors, and social workers. In other instances, school districts provide space for community mental health partnerships that can include school-based medical clinics with other health services that can serve students with Medicaid coverage, underinsured students, students with no insurance, and even at times students with private insurance. Many schools use a combination of school employees and community programs. This approach to help support students’ various needs has become widely popular. Human services providers may be serving as peer support, case managers, confidential advocates, skills trainers, or sexual health educators.
One key aspect of school-based mental health is providing services on-site and during the school day. By removing barriers such as transportation, scheduling conflicts, and stigma, school-based mental health services can help students access needed services.
Early diagnosis and treatment are effective and can help young people stay in school and on track for achieving their life goals. The earlier the treatment, the better the outcomes and the lower the costs. However, accessing mental health can be a long process, with wait times that stretch