Schools need to make students' mental health more of a priority
Students' mental health must be top priority
Every school district in the nation needs a mental health resource professional. Funds for a specialist trained to intervene with a student experiencing a crisis must be a line item in every budget.
Before the Michigan shooting last week, teachers asked for help. Parents were summoned to a meeting. Was there a mental health professional in the meetings when the future teen shooter was questioned about his disturbing behavior in the classroom? I guess not.
The student left the meeting with a loaded gun in his backpack and killed his classmates.
We can't wait for another Columbine, Parkland or Sandy Hook. Schools have money for field trips, sports, holiday parties. They need to prioritize and demand safety as the most important item in the budget with a mental health counselor in every school district.
Donna Myrow, Palm Springs
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Oxford, Michigan, school shooting shows problems with mental health
