Opinion/Allen and Kubas-Meyer: Schools key in early intervention, mental health help
Darlene Allen, CEO of Adoption Rhode Island, is the chair of the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families. Tanja Kubas-Meyer is the executive director.
In Rhode Island, teachers, staff, social workers, and most importantly students, need schools that meet their mental health needs and provide a whole-school approach to support. After all our school communities have been through the past few years, we must make our school spaces safe, stable and understanding environments for our children.
The community recently gathered at the State House to say that we have the opportunity to create these spaces by passing the Trauma-Informed Schools Act H 6667, and S 2556 this year. This legislation will first create classrooms and school communities where all teachers and staff are prepared to respond to the long-lasting implications of adverse childhood experiences. Trauma-informed schools are defined as schools that employ staff who are trained and equipped to deal with those experiences, and the symptoms of trauma long after they occur.
Students across our state have been exposed to neglect, physical abuse, substance use, the death of a loved one, gun violence, financial and housing instability and now a global pandemic. We know that trauma can directly impact students’ ability to learn. Students might be distracted by intrusive thoughts that prevent them from studying, paying attention in class, or doing well on a test. Some students might avoid going to school altogether.
Just weeks ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Rhode Island Chapter; the Rhode Island Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and Bradley Hospital issued a declaration of emergency regarding the state of child and adolescent mental health in Rhode Island. According to Rhode Island Kids Count, one in five children ages 6 to 17 has a diagnosable mental health problem.
This unprecedented declaration must serve as a call to action.
We at the Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families (RICCF) join our colleagues at the Rhode Island Department of Education, Rhode Island Kids Count, the ACLU of Rhode Island, Adoption RI, the Rhode Island Disabilities Council, the United Way of Rhode Island, union leaders and elected officials to ask that this year be the year that our state supports every child and their families by providing informed and proven practices that benefit our school communities.
Our coalition members are key providers of children’s behavioral health services in our state, as well as the community-response system in cases of child abuse and neglect. We know that children who have experienced trauma may react strongly with behaviors ranging from withdrawal and detachment to more aggressive lashing out. Early identification of trauma in schools helps get students the assistance that they need and helps schools respond appropriately to student behavior.
Waiting until challenges escalate to the point of hospitalization is a costly practice for the children, families, and the state. During May, Mental Health Awareness Month, may we all commit to a seamless system of behavioral health beginning with the identification of the issues as early as possible.
Schools should play a key role in early identification and intervention and should be a place where all students have access to the support they need.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Opinion/Allen and Kubas-Meyer: Schools key in early intervention, mental health help
