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“A student’s social emotional character and overall school climate can powerfully affect whether students learn and thrive in schools and their communities.” (LAUSD Blueprint for Wellness p. 5)

 

Shocking statistics tell the local and national story of the need for mental health services for students, families and school communities. Both within LAUSD and across the nation, an overwhelming number of students come to school every day with a myriad of adversities and mental health1 problems that compromise their ability to learn and achieve academically. Research suggests that schools function as the de facto mental health system for children and adolescents2. Nationally, only 50% of youth in need receive any mental health services3. In California, three out of four children with mental health needs do not receive treatment despite having health care coverage4. Of those receiving care, up to 80% receive it in a school setting5. More than 25% of American youth experience a serious traumatic event by their 16th birthday, and many children suffer multiple and repeated traumas including: abuse, maltreatment and neglect; traumatic loss; serious accidental injury; experiencing or witnessing violence in neighborhoods, schools and homes; treatment for life-threatening illness (medical trauma); accidents and fires; disasters and terrorism. Twenty-one percent of youth aged 13-18 have a mental illness that causes significant impairment in their daily life, 50% of all mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24.7 In a 2013-2014 screening of 572 LAUSD students, 88% reported experiencing three or more traumatic events in their lifetime, 55% of whom showed symptoms of PTSD, depression, or anxiety.

 

The above statistics are startling for many reasons. Within the context of the nation’s second largest school district, perhaps the most compelling of those is that mental wellbeing is an essential component of success in the classroom, and, if students are experiencing adversity and mental health issues without access to appropriate support and services, they won’t be able to learn, achieve, and graduate from high school ready for college and/or a career. In addition, the staff and administrators who are dedicated to support LAUSD students in their success need the support of qualified professionals to address needs ranging from students who become disengaged from learning because of trouble at home, to students with special needs who are experiencing emotional and behavioral disturbances, to violent and traumatic incidents in the community or on the campus.