Mental Health Commissioner Promotes Mental Health Resources in Schools
Recent mass shootings in schools has raised the issue.
School Safety: How We Can All Help
By: Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Lynn Beshear
Recent tragedies have prompted conversations about school safety. I welcome these discussions and want to focus on what the Alabama Department of Mental Health believes is most important: prevention and early intervention. Mental illness is not an easy subject to discuss. Stigma hurts us all. We must have an in-depth discussion on the mental health of youth, and we must act on our intentions through collaborative work. Citizens must be educated about mental illness. States and communities must be supportive partners, offering resources so children may easily access assessment and treatment.
One in five of our children and youth in this country experience a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder that can affect learning and social interactions.1 Research demonstrates that students with emotional disturbances may not reach graduation. Furthermore, students who drop –out of school are likely to be institutionalized more than their peers, particularly in jails and prisons.2 Across the United States, more than 600,000 youth are placed in juvenile detention centers annually and 70 percent of those have at least one diagnosable mental health disorder.3 These statistics remind us that at-risk children must be given support and encouragement during crucial times in their lives.
Schools must be non-violent, supportive havens where students not only obtain a high-quality education but also acquire assistance and speak privately to adults about their concerns. Therefore, we must focus on increasing mental health awareness, find ways to enhance the access to resources that identify behaviors which could trigger school violence, and proactively treat children with mental health issues. School-Based Mental Health Services is a successful collaboration between the Alabama Department of Mental Health and the State Department of Education. The program brings together local mental health centers and school systems to allow master’s- level clinicians into schools for the purpose of counseling students and providing necessary treatment. Many students cannot travel to see a psychologist or other mental health professional, and this program brings professional mental healthcare to those students.
School-based mental health programs can have a positive impact on behavioral and emotional health issues and increase attendance and academic achievement.4 However, in Alabama, there are only 36 school systems paired with 12 mental health authorities that actively address the needs of students through school-based mental health services. Expanding this would benefit the students in the other 106 systems.
On March 1, 2018, Children’s Hospital of Alabama launched the Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC) and a referral hotline. PIRC is a community partnership, including public and private mental health providers and the Anne B. LaRussa Foundation of Hope. PIRC is not a suicide hotline; instead, this resource empowers parents, teachers, grandparents, physicians or any adult seeking mental health services on a child’s behalf.
I encourage everyone interested to take Mental Health First Aid. This eight-hour class provides the skills needed to help a person who may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis. Those who teach and work in public settings will benefit from instruction on how to apply an evidence-based action plan in a variety of mental health situations. The training course includes adult and youth versions.
Governor Ivey’s newly created Securing Alabama Facilities of Education (SAFE) Council will review current and proposed policies and efforts to address issues like school violence and mental health. The council takes its mission seriously and will offer evidence-based recommendations to Governor Ivey by April 30.
The future of our youth is our foremost concern. If we want the best for them, we must invest our time and resources in preventative and interventional mental health programs.
For more information on School-Based Services, contact the Division of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse, Kim Hammack at 334-242-3200. To find a course or learn more about Mental Health First Aid, visit http://mh.alabama.gov/MentalHealthFirstAid.aspx or call the Office of Planning and Resource Development, Acquanetta Knight at 334-353-9168. The Children’s of Alabama PIRC hotline is open seven days a week from 8 AM to 11 PM. The phone number is (205) 638-PIRC (7472).
Lynn T. Beshear is the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health, appointed by Governor Ivey in July 2017. She is former Executive Director of Envision 2020, a non-profit dedicated to acommunity-driven strategic planning effort, designed to develop shared goals related to the quality of life through the use of active partnerships.
1American Institutes for Research (2017). Mental Health Needs of Children and Youth. https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/Mental-Health-Needs-Assessment-Brief-September-2017.pdf
2Sickmund, M., & Puzzanchera, C. (2014). Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2014 National Report. Retrieved from http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/nr2014/downloads/NR2014.pdf
3Better Solutions for Youth with Mental Health Needs in the Juvenile Justice System. (2014). Retrieved from http://cfc.ncmhjj.com/content/uploads/2014/01/Whitepaper-Mental-Health-FINAL.pdf
4The Impact of School Mental Health: Educational, Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Outcomes (Rep.). (n.d.). University of Maryland, School of Medicine. Retrieved fromhttp://csmh.umaryland.edu/media/SOM/Microsites/CSMH/docs/CSMH-SMH-Impact-Summary-July-2013-.pdf
