From the cover
Need for student mental health support increases
The context
The overview
Bluebonnet Trails and Integral Care found that isolation from the pandemic, alongside increased social media use and cyberbullying, have contrib- uted to a rise in youth mental health issues. Both organizations have seen an increased need for their services since 2020. “We’ve seen a notable increase in depression, trauma and completed suicides,” Buchanan said. From 2018-2022, suicide deaths among youth and children in Austin have risen by 65%, according to Austin Public Health.
Bluebonnet Trails observed a rise in admissions to its youth therapeutic respite program in Round Rock, which provides therapy, case management and medication to ages 5-17, Janes said. “Our crisis teams are very, very busy, especially during the school year,” said Brinti Mueck, director of youth and family mental health operations for Bluebonnet Trails. The Williamson County mental health authority provides case managers who train students on coping skills, Mueck said.
In LISD, a growing percentage of the district’s 42,500 students need increased mental health services. Referrals to LISD’s Student and Family Support Team of 15 licensed counselors and social workers increased by 33% from the 2021-22 to 2023- 24 school year, according to LISD data. LISD is on track to surpass referrals to its Student and Family Support Team from last school year, with 690 referrals as of early November, said Haley Simmons, Student and Family Support Team coordinator, at a Nov. 7 board meeting. District officials have expressed frustration over a lack of state funding. Meanwhile, the district has increased the amount of funding it puts toward guidance counseling services in recent years. The Leander Educational Excellence Foundation has paid for mental health specialists for LISD students post-pandemic. Since 2020, the district has hired additional therapists amid increased student referrals, two of which LEEF is continuing to fund after federal grant funding expired. Bluebonnet Trails Community Services and Integral Care have partnered with LISD and other districts to provide additional support for students, including case management and crisis response services. “The schools sometimes feel like they need more resources, and certainly we want to be a part of that solution where we can,” Janes said. Students may also receive counseling through Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine, or TCHATT—a state-funded telehealth counseling program.
Symptoms of mental illness in children and youth
Withdrawn or disinterested
Change in behavior
Change in weight
Drop in grades
Increased activity online
SOURCES: INTEGRAL CARE, BLUEBONNET TRAILS COMMUNITY SERVICES/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The approach
Continuum of care Students in LISD may receive one or several forms of mental health support depending on their need.
Districts provide several layers of mental health support for students. Counselors are the first point of contact for mental health concerns, LISD Director of Counseling Services Steve Clark said at a Dec. 10 event. LISD students may receive individual or group counseling with a parent’s consent. If students need more help, the district may refer them to its Student and Family Support Team. The district may refer students to an outside provider if they need more than eight to 10 therapy sessions, Clark said.
Students with identified needs
Outside referral SFST counseling Individual and small group counseling Counseling curriculum, group activities and academic planning
All students
SOURCE: LEANDER ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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