skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

School Counselor: Indiana Needs More Mental-Health Professionals

play audio
Play

Wednesday, November 3, 2021   

INDIANAPOLIS - More women and young people have faced behavioral-health challenges since before the pandemic, according to a new report. Nationwide, teen suicides have jumped 26% since 2014, according to the study from United Health Foundation, and anxiety among children also has been on the rise.

Dr. Jen Money-Brady, a Indiana School Counselors Association board member, said many counties in the Hoosier State don't have enough mental-health services for adults or children. In schools, she added, counselors do their best but often have so many students they need to make referrals, and wait times can range from six to 18 months.

"That's just really, really difficult," she said, "when you're thinking about a student who really needs help and can get help from their school counselor in little bits, but can't get really long-term support that they need."

The study compiled more than 100 measures of health, from physical to emotional, social and behavioral health determinants. It found only about one in five kids gets the recommended minimum physical activity of at least 60 minutes a day.

The report also noted that fewer children are getting developmental screenings and child well-visits. Indiana ranks 45th among states for developmental screenings and 33rd for wellness visits.

Dr. Ravi Johar, chief medical officer at UnitedHealthcare, said a nationwide shortage of doctors is contributing to the dip in the number of kids in waiting rooms.

"We know there's decreased access to pediatricians and to women's health-care professionals," he said, "so maybe telehealth will be able to help with some of those things."

Access to health insurance also can be a barrier to care; more than 7% of Indiana children are uninsured, and nearly 12% of women.

Disclosure: United Healthcare contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021