2023 HEALTH CARE EDITION
Both Austin ISD and Dripping Springs ISD o er mental health services to students. HOW TO GET HELP AT SCHOOL
COUNSELOR TO STUDENT RATIO BY DISTRICT In addition to mental health services, school counselors work with students on social- emotional learning, academic success and postsecondary planning. Counselors provide students with support to handle personal issues a ecting academic success. Mental health professionals can diagnose and treat students for mental health-related issues.
Mental health professionals
Counselors
Students
Ratio
4
8,375
20
1 350
Austin ISD AISD Dripping Springs ISD DSISD
230
15
73,384
1 300
Services o ered
1 250 The American School Counselor Association's recommended ratio: 1 390 Average ratio in Texas in 2021-22:
Small group and individual counseling AISD DSISD
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD, DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
Mental health screenings AISD DSISD Social emotional wellness AISD DSISD Post secondary planning AISD DSISD Services available over summer AISD provide therapy and teletherapy through insurance and can o er nancial assistance AISD Academic counseling AISD DSISD Licensed mental health professionals that can help students with issues interfering with success AISD DSISD School mental health centers
During the summer months, AISD counselors are available to o er stu- dent resources, while DSISD counsel- ing closes for three to four weeks for summer vacation. Accessing additional resources Accessing mental health is not always easy as the services available to an individual often depend on the wealth of the family, Spaw said. However, there are programs that can o er assistance. The University of Texas’ Institute for Public School Initiatives partners with virtual care
provider MDLive to provide free appointments with therapists or psy- chiatrists to students ages 10-18 in qualifying school districts in Texas. “A professional therapist is really just health care,” IPSI Executive Direc- tor Matt Orem said. “It should just be a right and something that we should all have access to.” Anyone can receive training in men- tal health rst aid, which educates on how to recognize di erent signs of mental health issues and how to intervene, Spaw said. Mental health rst aid is o ered across the county by
di erent instructors, including Inte- gral Care, Austin-Travis County EMS, and the Texas Health and Human Ser- vices Commission. “As parents, we have the power to help. We have the power to make conversations about mental health a regular part of our day,” Heston said. “The more we talk about struggles with mental illness, the more we nor- malize it.”
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD, DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
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NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • JUNE 2023
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