Arm teachers, but with mental health tools, not weapons

The recent shooting at a Florida high school by an expelled student has many of us struggling with what needs to happen to prevent another tragedy like this. For a young person to even have such thoughts and feelings is unimaginable. To have them actually follow through with these heinous acts is chilling. However, assigning teachers the responsibility to bear arms on campus as a means of protection for students and themselves is not the answer to campus gun violence. The risks of “collateral damage” from armed teachers in a shootout could result in a more disastrous situation. While there is no single best solution to eliminate the risk, we believe that a compelling answer can be found in early detection and prevention of mental health issues in our children.

In a nationwide State of Mental Health in America — Youth Data report for 2017, our organization found that 11.25 percent of U.S. teens and pre-teens, aged 12-17, reported suffering from at least one major depressive episode in the past year. In Texas, 67.3 percent of young people with major depression did not receive any mental health treatment. That means that

six out of 10 in this age group who have depression and who are most at risk of suicidal thoughts, difficulty in school and difficulty in relationships with others, do not get the treatment they need.

Clearly now more than ever, it is important to take the mental health of school-age children seriously and invest time, resources and awareness for prevention and early intervention. We cannot afford to test an “O.K. Corral” theory against the well-being of our children and the educators who teach them. Fighting gunfire with gunfire is not the answer.

Parents should be aware that our schools are at risk for this situation at any school, at any time. In the days since the Florida shooting, there have been at least five accounts of young people in the Houston area making threats against a school, outlining plans for on-campus violence and even bringing a gun on campus, resulting in high alerts and school lock-downs.

Instead of paying for teachers’ gun training, why not provide teachers, counselors and others who work in Texas schools with an arsenal of early identification and prevention tools to identify and get help for young people with mental health concerns?

We desperately need to address schools that are sorely under-resourced when it comes to behavioral health, with some having no counselors and others only one person trained to recognize mental health concerns in young people. Research shows that expanding school counseling in schools improves mental health and behavior, but also student learning.

As part of the solution in our region, Mental Health America of Greater Houston, through its Center for School Behavioral Health, works collaboratively with 26 public and charter school districts and more than 80 child-serving organizations, institutions of higher learning, community stakeholders, advocacy groups, students and parents, to develop and implement projects and policies that promote the well-being of schoolage children, prevent the downward trajectory of untreated behavioral health problems and appropriately address the needs of children with behavioral disorders, as well as the needs of children who have experienced trauma.

Working with concerned state officials, we can support our public education system to ensure that the behavioral health and well-being of all students and educators are addressed through early detection and prevention programs.