Carlsbad school district plans to allocate funds for student mental health
Carlsbad Current-ArgusSep 01, 2021
Carlsbad Municipal Schools planned to allocate
School districts that receive funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, and the
A Gallup poll found that 29% of parents say their children experienced harm to their emotional or mental health because of social distancing and closures.
A survey conducted by the
According to the
Families facing income insecurity, and LGBTQ children or children of color may be more vulnerable to negative mental health consequences caused by COVID-19.
While mental health issues have become a concern for parents, some children may not be getting the care they need. Data from the KFF showed a decline in pediatric mental health care services being utilized during the pandemic.
That
Director of Special Education for CMS
Last year the district implemented a system to help teachers identify students at risk and refer them to a social worker or counselor, Gossett said.
There are also procedures in place in case teachers or staff members learn that a students is feeling depressed or suicidal, Gossett said.
He said CMS social workers also took part in special suicide prevention training called QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade and Refer. QPR is an an emergency mental health intervention for people that are suicidal created in 1995 that teaches recognition of warning signs of suicide as a measure of prevention, according to the organization's website.
Gossett said the district worked with the
The SHAPE system was created by the
"The SHAPE assessment will be used to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses to enable us to better support the unique needs of each school campus," Gossett said.
Gossett said the assessment would allow the district to look at ways to implement early intervention and treatment methods while allowing them to pinpoint exactly how funds to improve mental health should be spent.
He said the assessment will also allow the district to identify the specific needs of each individual school and the grades they teach.
"The reason I want to do this assessment first is I want to make sure we're getting bang for our buck," Gossett said. "We're putting the dollars where they're needed and we're seeing some long term effects."
The SHAPE assessment for CMS will begin on
Gossett said the district has also tried to hire a school psychologist but a national shortage has left the position vacant. The district has hired someone to oversee the multilayer system CMS uses to address students mental health needs, he said.
Gossett said he also wanted to remind parents to reach out to the school if their child is struggling with mental health issues.
"We want the parents to make the teacher and staff aware so that we can get the student appropriate care," Gossett said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis contact National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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