Mental health professionals have put together a list of things parents of Maine kids going back to school should do.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services says that 15% of kids ages 6 to 11 have emotional or behavioral problems that need help. But too many times, kids who need counseling don’t get it.
Vice President of Public Policy for the mental health advocacy group Inseparable, Caitlin Hochul, said that the numbers show how important it is to fund programs in schools.
“They help improve access to care and are really one of the most effective tools we have to help improve children’s mental health well-being,” Hochul said. “Because we are reaching kids where they spend most of their time, and that is in schools.”
Kids who get help at school are six times more likely to finish treatment than kids who get help somewhere else, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Statistics show that more Maine kids than the national average are depressed and anxious.
According to research, teaching students more about mental health in the classroom can help lower the number of depressive signs. Hochul said that schools can take a number of steps to reach this goal.
“One is making sure that kids understand what brain health is, what mental health is, similar to physical health education,” Hochul said. “Then there’s also training up staff and teachers, too, so they’re understanding warning signs and can help with suicide prevention and substance use disorder prevention.”
Hochul also said that checking in with kids about their mental health on a daily basis, even if it’s just for a chat, can help find students who might need help.
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, is in favor of a bill that would make more counselors available in public schools across the country. The bill would set up a grant scheme that would help schools hire more social workers and mental health workers to work in schools for five years.