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Judge pauses deadline for federal workers to accept Trump's resignation offer; CA state lawmakers take action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement; Study shows air quality disparities from industrial ag in NC.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Mental health access critical for MI students

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Friday, January 31, 2025   

Some 125,000 children in Michigan struggle with major depression, which can hinder learning, behavior and relationships, according to a recent survey. Research shows the benefits of school-based services to connect them with the care they need.

Together with parents, school mental health resources can help keep kids safe.

Scott Hutchins, who manages the behavioral health unit for the Michigan Department of Education, stresses the importance of these services, especially in light of the pandemic and school shootings.

"Those needs have only been exacerbated since COVID and those other violent tragedies," he said. "So, what mental-health services do is, they allow us to break down the barriers that students need to get the care that they need."

However, the state needs more of these professionals. Michigan has one school psychologist per almost 2,200 students. The recommended ratio is one for every 500 students. The state also requires school districts to include suicide-prevention hotline contact information on IDs for students in grades 7 through 12.

Statistics show youths receiving school-based mental-health services are six times more likely to complete treatment than those receiving community-based services.

Angela Kimball, chief advocacy officer for the nonprofit mental health advocacy group Inseparable, noted that funding is one key challenge in expanding the school mental-health workforce.

"In order to become a licensed professional," she said, "you not only have to pay for schooling, but there's also periods of supervision - where people are essentially working for free and having to pay for supervision as they work towards their credentials."

Kimball said groups like hers are pushing for policies to improve staff ratios and encourage people to consider mental-health careers. In the meantime, if you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to be connected with a trained counselor, available 24/7.

Disclosure: Inseparable contributes to our fund for reporting on Criminal Justice, Health Issues, Mental Health, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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