Guilford County Schools expands on-demand mental health resources for students thanks to a $15 million grant. Just last month, the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey was released. Guildford County schools say they’re showing worrying trends in mental health among North Carolina students. The statewide survey asked students a range of questions, including self-esteem, whether they felt safe at school, and whether they had suicidal thoughts. number from % to 15%. For girls, that number has generally increased, with her jumping to 30% in 2021. Whitney Oakley of Guildford County Schools said one of the reasons his students are suffering is because of the disruption to their lives caused by the pandemic. “We are talking about effects that will take a long way to recover.” To combat these trends, Guildford County Schools is using a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education , employs 16 full-time mental health clinicians. Over the course of 5 years. The school system says it should improve the proportion of counselors and social workers serving students in doing so. Oakley also said the district plans to partner with Triad colleges to help provide mental health services to graduate students. “We know there is a shortage of licensed mental health professionals, just like teachers,” she said. Told. “So the strategy is not just that if you have the money you can hire people. You need a strategy for building that pipeline to make sure there are trained people to hire. ‘ says Oakley. The entire Guildford County community needs to work together to address these issues. You can read the full survey here.
Guilford County Schools expands on-demand mental health resources for students thanks to a $15 million grant. Just last month, the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey was released. Guildford County schools say they’re showing startling trends in mental health among North Carolina students.
Data shows that students’ mental health is deteriorating, and Guildford County school system leaders hope the grant will fund a solution.
Out of self-esteem, the statewide survey asked students a variety of questions, including whether they felt safe at school and whether they were contemplating suicide.
Between 2011 and 2021, the number of boys who reported suicidal thoughts ranged from 11% to 15%. For girls, that number has generally increased, with her jumping to 30% in 2021.
Dr Whitney Oakley of Guildford County Schools says one of the reasons students are struggling is because of the disruption to their lives caused by the pandemic.
“Just because we’re back to normal hours doesn’t mean it’s over,” she said.
To combat these trends, Guildford County School District is using a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to hire 16 full-time mental health clinicians over five years . The school system says doing so will improve the ratio of counselors and social workers to serve students.
“We looked at large schools, especially those serving large student groups where we see a greater need,” Oakley said. to ensure that all schools in the world have access to mental health support.”
Oakley also said the district plans to partner with Triad colleges to have graduate students help provide mental health services. She said a pool of eligible candidates should be created for future district positions.
“We know there is a shortage of licensed mental health professionals, just like teachers,” she said. “And this strategy isn’t just that if you have the money you can hire people. You need to have a strategy for building that pipeline to make sure you have trained people to hire. there is.”
Oakley said Guildford County Schools are doing what they can, but the entire Guildford County community needs to work together to address these issues.
You can read the full survey here.
