Confronted with a shortage of school mental health counselors, the state Department of Education is seeking to bring 10,000 more professionals to campuses at a time when federal public health officials are calling for action to address the nation’s growing youth mental health crisis. “In the school setting, governments should invest in building a pipeline of school counselors, nurses, social workers, and school psychologists,” the advisory states. We have really treated mental health differently than physical health and acted like it wasn’t as important, when underneath it all, mental health is foundational to physical health.”Loretta Whitson, executive director of the California Assn. of School Counselors, said the proposal is “a good first step,” but cautioned against sending “less qualified people” in the rush to address the crises. There “could be a system in place where they’re supporting those counselors,” Whitson said.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 06, 2022 07:30 UTC