Photo by Agence Olloweb on Unsplash
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many schools across America have shifted to the virtual classroom. Even at schools that are open part- or full-time, the experience is not the same for children. Therefore, schools should be prepared to meet students’ mental health needs right now.
The number of mental health professionals assigned to a typical elementary school is small relative to the number of students. Now is a good opportunity to formally introduce the social and emotional learning that children desperately need. Every class can benefit from regular virtual visits from a mental health professional. This would provide students with the opportunity to discuss what is on their minds and express their feelings.
Limited Mental Health Resources
Many schools had severe budget limitations leading up to this crisis. The mental health professionals were dealing with only the trauma cases. The rest of class time with counselors was typically a lesson on general social and emotional learning once every week or every two weeks.
Teachers need access to mental health professionals as much as children do. They are dealing with many challenges, shifting their learning materials to a virtual environment, and trying to teach new content in a new way to weary children.
We need to expand mental health support in our secondary schools as well. This will help students who might not be able to access these resources privately. Additionally, an expansion can help teachers and staff through training on how to provide this type of support, even if resources are limited.
Students’ Mental Health Needs
Meeting the mental health needs of students is essential! This is because more and more youth across America are reporting feelings of anxiousness. But we CAN do something about it. Although many families can’t afford mental health care outside of school, schools can play a role in this. Mental well-being is critical to a student’s academic success. Children can’t access academic learning if their social and emotional needs are not met.
We need to provide students with tools that will help them get through these challenges we are all facing. Children are FAR from equipped to handle this situation, yet they are proving very resilient and adaptable. However, they need to learn the language and normalize their feelings in order to be sure they really are processing and expressing their emotions.
Advocating for Children
Many administrations and school districts are ensuring that mental health comes first and that children feel seen and heard.
The nonprofit organization America’s Promise Alliance released results of a survey about increasing concerns for middle- and high-school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report suggests that students are experiencing collective trauma. Children are worried about their family finances and about their families meeting their basic needs. So many parents have lost their jobs, and the stress of that trickles down to children, teenagers, and young adults. Immediate and ongoing support would benefit students and their families.
