April 2006
US Senate Briefing – Removing Barriers to Learning: The Role of School-employed Mental Health Service Providers
In March 2006, a Senate Briefing on school-based mental health services and their link to student success was co-sponsored by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), American Counseling Association (ACA), American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). Senate sponsors included Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Pete Domenici (R-NM). (Read more about the Senate Briefing on the NASP web site at http://www.nasponline.org/advocacy/senatebriefing.html)
Some very helpful documents were produced in preparation for this briefing. One is Removing Barriers to Learning and Improving Student Outcomes: The Importance of School-Based Mental Health Services. This 2-page document highlights 10 “talking points” about the need for school mental health services and the impact on student learning. They are:
· School mental health services are integral to student success.
· Research demonstrates that students who receive social-emotional support and prevention services achieve better academically in school.
· There is a growing and unmet need for mental health services for children and youth.
· Schools are a natural place to provide mental health services.
· School mental health services must be integrated with community services on a continuum of care.
· Crisis events provide vivid examples of the need for mental health services.
· Providing quality school mental health services requires that schools have an adequate number of appropriately trained professionals.
· Meeting children’s mental health needs is a wise investment.
· Our children need public policy that expands and improves school-based mental health services.
A second 2-page document is Facts About School Mental Health Services. It addresses four “talking points”:
· Need for School Mental Health Services
· Rationale for Providing Mental Health Services in Schools
· Positive Outcomes for Children and Adolescents
· Cos/Benefit Analyses
It also provides a very good list of references to support the “talking points.”
The third document is also two pages. It is a flyer entitled An Overview of School-Based Mental Health Services. It is in a question-answer format addressing the following questions:
· Why is mental health important to education?
· What are school-based mental health services?
· Who are school-based mental health providers?
· What are the necessary qualifications of school-based mental health providers?
· Who receives services from school-based mental health providers?
· How are school-based mental health services accessed?
These three documents provide excellent information in a brief format. I encourage you to use them as frequently as possible to help others understand the importance of school mental health services.
Three additional documents are also worth reading. They are:
· Statement by John Kelly (NASP member and 2003 School Psychologist of the Year)
· Statement by Randy Fisher, Executive Director of the School Social Work Association of America
· Information on the Shortage of School Psychologists