May is Mental Health Awareness Month and one group wants school districts in Utah and across the country to focus on critical mental health support.

According to Mental Health America, in 2022 Utah ranked 32nd in the country when it came to the prevalence of mental health challenges and access to care for youth.

Denise Forte, president and CEO of The Education Trust, said before the pandemic, things like anxiety and depression were already becoming more common among children and adolescents, and it has become more severe.

Forte pointed out as states grapple with the looming end of federal pandemic assistance, many students are still struggling.

"Suicide rates are up. Cyberbullying is up. We've recently learned that one in five students has seriously considered suicide, whereas one in 10 has attempted suicide," Forte outlined. "Those numbers really show a significant problem."

Forte emphasized her group is pleased the federal government has invested money in supporting students' mental health, but argued it is important to know if states and school districts are using those funds effectively. She added it is critical for students to have access to psychologists, counselors and social workers to help foster students' social, emotional and academic development.

The Education Trust has laid out potential steps federal, state and local education leaders can take to enact policies they believe will help address student needs and improve academic success.

Forte acknowledged although rules and policies are intended to be applied equally across the board regardless of one's background, it is not always the case.

"What we are really calling for is making sure that policymakers and school leaderships work in partnerships with communities and families to create physically safe and emotionally supportive environments," Forte stressed. "Using evidence-based approaches that are reflective and inclusive of the students that they serve."

Forte added it is crucial for students to feel supported and emotionally strong so they can grow into "healthy, thriving adults." She finds it troubling, amid a surge in gun violence and increased reports of student behavior problems, lawmakers and school leaders nationwide are moving to "harden" schools with things such as metal detectors, school resource officers and implement harsh discipline policies.

Indiana families are preparing kids for back-to-school season, and mental-health experts say emotional readiness is just as important as school supplies.

Beth Trammell, a psychologist and professor at Indiana University East, said kids often carry anxiety into the new school year. She encouraged parents to help children identify those fears.

"We as parents or caregivers think, 'Don't worry, or don't stress.' Instead, we might want to say, 'OK, well, let's talk about what it is you're worried about. What is the worst thing you think could happen?' If we draw it out of them," she said, "it may give them space to kind of let that out."

Helping kids feel heard can reduce stress. But experts also urge balance, keeping mornings calm, easing into routines, and not overloading schedules the first few weeks.

Nicole Brady, chief medical officer at UnitedHealthcare, said mental-health support should remain a priority throughout the year.

"Though we want our kids to be involved in activities and be social," she said, "we have to watch their academic performance, their mood, those sleep patterns, and making sure that those are staying healthy."

Brady added that parents should talk regularly with kids, model healthy coping and seek help early if warning signs appear.


get more stories like this via email

After a legislative session which opened doors to expand mental health care services across Montana, a state commission said it is considering the Billings area to build the state's second forensic facility.

For people involved in Montana's justice system whom a judge has deemed not mentally fit for their own defense, there are 53 beds in the state's only forensic facility in Galen. The daily waitlist hovers at about 100 people.

Matt Kuntz, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Montana, said it is not meeting the immense need.

"It's just a really bad situation for the people that are in the jails, for the people that are caring for them, for the taxpayers," Kuntz outlined. "It just doesn't work for anybody."

At a recent commission meeting, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Charlie Brereton said the state is identifying a location for a new facility. The department received nearly $27 million from the state in April to fund project planning.

Kuntz noted the Montana Legislature passed many bills this session centered on mental health care.

"We really were able to get big wins in access to outpatient care, access to crisis care and for people in need of forensic hospital," Kuntz explained. "Overall, it was really an amazing legislative session for Montanans with mental health conditions."

Other mental health legislation will boost school-based services, youth in residential care, the state's 988 crisis line and certified community behavioral health clinics.


get more stories like this via email

The California Parent and Youth Helpline is in serious jeopardy after Gov. Gavin Newsom cut it from the new state budget, saying the money was needed to support medical services.

Advocates said they are puzzled because the governor has championed the helpline for years, and lawmakers approved $3 million from a separate fund dedicated to mental health, which does not affect the deficit.

Lisa Pion-Berlin, president and CEO of the nonprofit Parents Anonymous, which runs the helpline, said it is still operating 24/7, for now.

"We're holding on for the next month or so," Pion-Berlin pointed out. "But we need the state to step up, or one of these well-off philanthropists who cares about having that immediate help for emotional support, which is so vital."

Advocates are hoping funding can be restored via a budget trailer bill in the next few weeks. People can call or text and reach the helpline's trained counselors at 877-427-2736. The free helpline has connected with more than 120,000 people since its inception five years ago, and the website CAParentYouthHelpline.org has reached a million more.

Pion-Berlin noted a study in the Journal of Technology in Human Services found a call to the helpline can quickly ease parents' suffering and feelings of isolation.

"The research said that 85% of the callers in less than 30 minutes feel more positive, more hopeful and able to address their issues," Pion-Berlin reported. "There is no other service or pill I know that can do that in 30 minutes or less."

Parents Anonymous also offers free weekly support groups to steer parents and kids through emotional crises of all kinds.