The kids are–not alright. Rates of anxiety and depression have skyrocketed in teens and young adults. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 14 percent of 10-to-19-year-olds are currently experiencing some kind of mental health condition, and the percentage of undergraduates struggling with anxiety and depression has jumped from about 10 percent in 2010 to around 20 percent in 2019. The increase in these conditions corresponds with a major shift in parenting approaches, the advent of widespread smartphone and social media use, and, of course, COVID-19. And while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing the mental health crisis in our adolescents and teens, there are some resources and strategies that will make getting your child the mental health support they need easier.
One of the main reasons our kids end up without the mental health assistance that they need is due to access. It can be challenging to find a therapist for your child, and costly financially if the practitioner doesn’t take insurance. Even if you do find a therapist, offices are often located inconveniently and can take hours to get to, making it hard to show up consistently. This is even more the case for parents and kids with less flexibility in their schedules. If this sounds familiar, accessing resources through your child’s DC public school may be your best bet. This includes public charter schools as well. There is an easy protocol to follow, outlined below:
1. Visit the D.C. Public Schools Mental Health website and access the Student Referral Forms. There are five forms here — one for parents to fill out on behalf of their children and one for students to fill out on their own, provided in four languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, and Amharic). This is a one-page document that can be filled out quickly.
2. Bring the Student Referral Form to the School Behavior Health Coordinator or someone else in the front office at school.
3. Wait, usually around 10 days, for a school-based clinician to reach out and develop a service plan.
Following these steps will get the ball rolling so that your child can receive the mental health support they need in the very place where they spend most of their time. Plus, establishing a relationship with a professional inside of school allows them to offer further suggestions for out-of-school support should that be necessary. You’re no longer navigating this alone.
Assessing Counseling Services
For those not attending DC Public Schools, and for those transitioning to private schools in middle or high school, it is a good idea to investigate the counseling department at the schools you are considering. Some questions to ask:
1. How many staff members are on the counseling team? Then do your own math against the student population. The American School Counselor Association provides a 250-to-1 ratio as ideal. This may seem high, but the national average sits around 400-to-1. The lower the ratio, the better the student outcomes. Use these stats as a guideline when assessing how robust the counseling department is at a prospective school.
2. How do kids or parents initiate in-school counseling services? It is helpful to know if any forms need to be filled out, or if children are able to seek support spontaneously as needed. Some schools require medical documentation of need. Being clear on each school’s protocol is a good idea.
3. When are kids able to access services? You’ll want to know what time of day kids are being seen. Will they always miss the same class? Will it always be during PE or recess? Missing parts of the day that are more enjoyable for the child can often increase resistance to seeking support.
4. How often or regular is support? In other words, if your child needs support for something acute, does the school follow up? Is there any precedent for regularly meeting with a counselor?
While we may not prioritize information gathering around counseling teams as highly as those around academics and sports, it’s equally as important to understand what kind of support your child can expect to receive should they experience mental health challenges. Knowing the protocol ahead of time will also ensure that services can be accessed quickly and smoothly.
A final note on in-school services. Mental health starts with getting the meaningful support you need, no matter how your brain is wired. If you are one of the many parents who have gotten a psychological evaluation for your child with 30-40 recommendations for in-school support, please take a moment to really think about your child and their school before going to your admin to ask for accommodations. I suggest identifying 2-3 accommodations from that list (apart from extended time) that you think will make the most meaningful difference to your child. Some of my absolute favorite accommodations due to their efficacy are: class notes provided by the teacher, the use of a calculator, and the ability to submit assignments via picture and email so that paper assignments don’t continually get lost. The fewer accommodations you ask for, the more likely it is you’ll get them.
There’s no doubt that the mental health infrastructure in this country is lacking. But there are good services out there that we can access for ourselves and our kids. It can be overwhelming and discouraging to try to navigate this landscape alone, and I hope that these steps will make it a tiny bit easier to know where to start.
At Empowerment EDU, we help families like yours restore peace, deepen connection, and raise truly incredible humans. For more about me, Maggie Tatum–Executive Function Coach and Educator–visit EmpowermentEDU.com.
