When I hear the phrase “mental health and schools,” I automatically think back to guidance counselors. I only ever used them for when it was time to apply for scholarships and to colleges. But there are students who use them for other services such as stress and other personal issues going on in their life.
Mental health stretches further than just every day stress. Conditions such as Down Syndrome and Autism are becoming more and more prevalent in society as more and more people are being diagnosed.
When I was first presented with the topic of mental health funding in schools, I knew absolutely nothing about the topic. However, after some research on the internet, I have discovered grants that schools can apply for to gain funding for the support of mental health.
The grants are offered by the U.S. Department of Education and in order to gain funding a school must have a program that develops collaborative efforts between the school-based service system and mental health service systems to treat and diagnose students, enhance availability of crisis intervention services, provide training for school employees, provide assistance to school services, mental health agencies and the families involved, provide linguistically and culturally competent services and evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
I believe that schools should receive funding to support the education of those who are struggling with mental health based on the number of students they have that need it. There are schools that cater more to people who are living with mental health issues.
When it comes to after school care that promotes mental health, I found few programs. I believe this is where funding should go so children with mental health issues can get assistance with their school work and continue their socialization with their peers.
When it comes down to finding a job, those with mental health issues have a much harder time finding one than those who do not. Their skills can be viewed as limited by employers. Menial jobs like stocking shelves and janitorial work are just two options they have off of a small list.
The government should help families who are taking care of someone with mental health issues. Those with mental health issues require special care and services. They have higher medical bills and I do not think it is right for a family to have to deal with that without the government assisting them in some way. Health care is such a major issue in this country, but politicians never talk about mental health care.
People with mental health issues make up the majority of the homeless population because of the little opportunity they have to succeed on their own. If the government could offer more programs and financial aid to those with mental health issues, then the homeless population could decrease, as well.
