Equip students, schools with mental health first aid
More than 6 million California students returned to school over the past few weeks; many excited to reunite with friends, dive into new classes or engage in sports, clubs and other activities. Nevertheless, a significant number of our students struggle to make it through each day and need our support and help.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs, 1 in 3 high schoolers reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row. While their faces may not always show their depression, nonetheless they struggle under the weight of it on a daily basis.
Mental health experts know the best chance of raising successful students who become healthy adults is to recognize the signs of mental illness or substance abuse early and connect young people with effective treatment and early intervention. Our students’ behavioral health deserves the same attention and preventive approach we give to physical health.
Physical check-ups are required of our young people before they enroll in school. Campuses are equipped to deal with the scrapes and bruises they may encounter on the playground. Yet many California schools are not prepared to recognize the signs of mental distress and connect students with support that they need to navigate the challenging waters of childhood and adolescent depression.
Mental health and children’s advocates aim to change that with a bill now on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, SB 428 by Sens. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, and Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge. This bill would require all California schools to train two staff persons or 10% of their staff, whichever is greater, in recognizing and acting on students’ mental health needs. Trained staff can be teachers or support staff, and schools can choose from evidence-based, nationally recognized, in-person training programs such as Youth Mental Health First Aid.
Teachers are on the front lines of the reality faced by students in crisis and are welcoming the opportunity to gain training that will help them properly identify students who are suffering, assist in the moment, and connect them to resources that they need.
The Santa Clara County Office of Education offers training for educators through our Safe and Healthy Schools Department. Youth mental health first aid training was provided to district staff this past year.
With proven training made available, school staff, teachers and other staff can learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental illness and substance use disorders, including common psychiatric conditions and precursors to substance use disorders. Once school staff identify and refer students for help, counties across California stand ready to serve these students and families with appropriate services from crisis intervention to supporting students in focusing on their schoolwork and arriving to school ready to learn.
The sweeping potential of this bill is evident in the broadbased coalition of organizations that united to pass the legislation from the Senate and Assembly and move it to Newsom’s desk. These include county behavioral health departments, nonprofit organizations that deliver community mental health care,
Children Now and even Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation — which all recognize that early detection of mental health and substance abuse issues can have positive, lifelong impacts on our children and youth.
With nearly 1 in 5 high school students reporting that they have seriously considered attempting suicide, the urgency behind this legislation is also clear. Our students need us to link arms and support them, particularly when they are most in need. Newsom has until Oct. 13 to sign SB 428; he should do so, for the students who deserve our support and the educators who want to be equipped to do so.