By Danielle Smith, Keystone State News Connection
Pennsylvania is making progress in supporting youth mental health, according to a new report from Inseparable. The state now has about half the recommended number of school psychologists, nearly 36% of the counselors, and more than 75% of social workers.
Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh County, said recent investments are paying off, but stresses the need to continue comprehensive investments for school-based mental health so kids get help where they are.
“We have to also make sure that when they’re not in school, they have access to therapy and resources that will help improve their mental health. We’ve made progress, but we have a long way to go before, I think we really get our arms around the undeniably bleak mental-health state of our children,” he said.
The report also found that while Pennsylvania is making progress, it has failed to enact other key policies, including excused mental-health absences, training teachers and staff, and school-linked mental-health services programs.
Schlossberg added that schools need more mental-health screenings before a crisis occurs. He said his legislation for early screenings passed the committee last year, but more work is still to be done to address the problem, and he added improvements in workforce development are needed to meet growing demand.
“We do not have nearly enough behavioral health practitioners in the field that can give students or adults really the assistance that they need,” he continued. “So, if we really want to get serious about improving the mental health of our kids and the population in general, we’ve got to invest more in workforce improvements to get everybody the help that they deserve.”
Pennsylvania is one of 18 states allowing Medicaid billing for youth peer support.
Caitlin Hochul, vice president for public policy with Inseparable, said expanding Medicaid to cover all eligible students — including those without diagnoses — can boost access to care and bring in federal funds without added state costs.
“Leveraging that Medicaid funding is so important because so many kids are covered by Medicaid, almost 40%, and the numbers are even higher in rural areas, and that’s where we’re seeing a lot of under-resourced schools is in those rural areas,” she said.
Hochul added that most states fall short of recommended staffing ratios, so the report offers policymakers suggestions to strengthen the mental-health workforce and support students through early intervention, mental-health days, and school-based tele-mental health services.
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Source: bctv