Addressing the Mental Health Crisis in Our Schools

It is no secret or surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an increase in mental health problems to our communities. While this is true for just about every demographic, the mental health crisis in our schools is hurting our youngest and most vulnerable populations. 

Therapists, counselors, teachers, and pediatricians are on the frontline, trying to help. This added burden, in turn, takes a toll on their mental wellness. Doug Fir Billing supports and celebrates our community’s teachers, doctors, and counselors doing this difficult work in the most challenging time our generation has experienced. 

We’d love to connect with you to see how we can support your practice.

Escalating Mental Health Crisis in Schools

The past two years have created an ongoing perfect storm for mental health problems, and students have experienced more than their fair share of the trauma. Children are in the unique position of going through this crisis during their developmental years while also having almost no say over what happens to them.

Many students came home from school on Thursday, March 12, 2020, with no notion they wouldn’t return for more than a year. Within a matter of hours, they found themselves separated from friends, teachers, neighbors, and family members. And no one could tell them when things would change.

In addition to sudden isolation, the pandemic brought tremendous fear and uncertainty. Many families immediately faced job losses, financial difficulties, food insecurity, and loss of loved ones. And it all happened so fast. Parents struggled to meet their children’s emotional needs on a whole new level, not to mention their own mental health concerns.

Within a few months of the shutdown, the world witnessed George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police. The world erupted in protests and violence. And many children watched all of it.

Their world no longer felt safe.

Addressing Mental Health for Remote Students

In most of the country, students suddenly found themselves surviving distance learning. Teachers, administrators, and counselors had to navigate a new way of trying to engage learners, many of whom had no safety net to help them handle remote learning.

As the pandemic wore on through 2020 and into 2021, the emotional toll on students skyrocketed. Things got bad enough that in October of 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared the mental health crisis a national emergency.

Students experienced many symptoms of anxiety and depression:

• Difficulty sleeping

• Difficulty eating

• Increased drug and alcohol use

• Withdrawal from family activities

And teachers and counselors were left trying to support students through online platforms. Resources were minimal or non-existent for some districts and their students.

Even before the pandemic, school-based mental health care for students was minimal. And private practices had waitlists that were months long. The pandemic exacerbated and escalated all of those shortcomings. 

And as happens so often in our healthcare system, communities of color suffered at higher rates than white communities. The tangled web and intersectionality of race, economic status, and access to services became painfully apparent.

Return to School 

For the 2021/2022 school year, many of the nation’s schools returned to in-person instruction. Mixed with the joy of being in the classroom again were feelings of nervousness, uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. Students and staff had yet another new reality to navigate together.

In one survey, district administrators noted a rise in misbehavior and threats of violence in their schools. This uptick is more prevalent in large districts, but it’s present throughout the school system.

Added to the fears surrounding COVID were the politics of masking and vaccinating, concerns about students lagging academically, and a shortage of teachers and staff. Schools around the country are desperately trying to fill vacancies in their teaching and counseling positions, but many remain significantly understaffed.

School counselors and mental health professionals are scrambling to meet their students’ needs the best they can. But the mental health crisis is not subsiding yet.

Hope on the Horizon?

In his State of the Union address, President Biden discussed the mental health crisis and how he plans to allocate funds to combat it. This crucial step is momentous because it’s the first federal response to mental health since the Carter administration. By and large, addressing mental health care issues have been solely in the hands of the states.

This proposed action also seeks to address the shortage of qualified mental health professionals. Currently, therapists are scrambling to keep up with the demand, often putting their mental well-being at risk due to overwhelming caseloads. 

Biden’s funding demands that insurance companies have an “adequate network of providers” to meet their policy holder’s needs. This is a significant requirement that could have far-reaching benefits for patients and mental health providers.

When they must recruit more therapists, insurers will need to pay them adequately. This step will go a long way toward building up a sufficient number of qualified professionals to help our nation’s schools and communities.

Counselors and Therapists on the Frontline

Throughout the pandemic, mental health professionals have been standing in the gap for our students. They have been flexible and creative in using their time and energy to meet as many needs as possible. They have worked tirelessly to keep children connected to their communities and resources.

The Biden administration recognizes the mental health crisis's devastating impact on students and children. So his plan also calls for doubling the number of mental health professionals in schools to help alleviate some of the stress for everyone involved.

The plan also allocates funding resources to support the mental and behavioral health of support frontline providers. Whether they are in private practice, community health, or a school-based setting, counselors and therapists are doing the crucial work our children deserve.

Doug Fir Supports Our Community’s Helpers

Throughout the pandemic, the team at Doug Fir Billing has been honored to continue supporting and working with compassionate, heart-led wellness providers. If you’re looking for help with your practice’s medical billing, we’d love to chat. From benefits verification to claims submissions, we have you covered. It’s our job to make doing your job easier.