Behavioral health can make a difference | News, Sports, Jobs

While not all students look forward to the start of the school year, for some, back-to-school means better access to everything from food to behavioral health care. When it comes to the latter, Ohio public schools are improving, as a report from the Statehouse News Bureau’s Ohio Newsroom found that the number of schools offering behavioral health services increased by 20% over the past year.

That’s good news, because a 2022 survey showed that about a third of Buckeye State students report having anxiety issues, and more than 100,000 high school-aged students who participated in the survey reported suffering from depression.

“Children spend a lot of time at school” Teresa Lampl, executive director of the Ohio Council of Behavioral and Family Health Service Providers, told Ohio Newsroom. “So it’s a great place to meet kids where they are and be able to provide services, communicate with their parents and meet their needs.”

Community health partners are helping some schools meet this need. In other cases, Ohio’s Student Wellness Fund is providing schools with the resources they need to provide behavioral health and mental health services in schools. But there’s a problem. As in so many critical areas related to educating and supporting our youth, there aren’t enough people willing to take these jobs.

Lampl told Ohio Newsroom that there is a shortage of mental health professionals who can meet the demand in schools. She said vacancies for full-time employees at community behavioral health centers increased 11 percent from last school year to the one before. But she is optimistic that the more visible mental health professionals are in schools, the more young people will consider entering the field.

“This is life-changing and life-saving work,” Lampl said.

Indeed, it could also be a game changer for Ohio, if more young people were fully supported as they grow and learn in our schools and become healthy, productive citizens.

Those already working in similar fields should consider whether additional training could help them transition to working in our schools. And those just beginning to think about their education and career paths should consider whether they, too, can make a difference to children who need it.

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