How a Salina school program helps connect students with mental health services
Note: this article discusses the increase in anxiety, depression, self-harm and related illnesses among adolescents. Parents and students dealing with these issues can find local resources at the Central Kansas Mental Health Center. Those in a crisis situation can call their emergency line at 785-823-6322.
Students across the U.S. are facing an unprecedented public health crisis, one that has been playing out in the backgrounds of some lives, and in a more present and public view for others.
Medical professionals are seeing a growing number of teenagers and school-aged children who are in need of mental health services. Soaring rates of anxiety, mood disorders and self-harm are among top concerns of school psychologists and social workers.
A decline in student mental health was exacerbated by circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic, like isolation and limited social interactions. But it was also there before the virus had its effect on communities across the globe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for people ages 10 to 24, suicide rates increased nearly 60% from 2007 to 2018.
It's an issue that can seem far-off, shrouded in the things that make school fun for students. But behind the curtain, these issues have affected student attendance, grades and social behaviors that impede a healthy development into adulthood.
"It's something we've seen first-hand and we take seriously," said Ericka Lysell, a liaison for the USD 305 Mental Health Intervention Team.
Mental Health Intervention Team connects students and families with resources
The reality of staggering statistics on declining mental health has inspired programs that have a real and measurable impact on students and their families. One example of this is the Mental Health Intervention Team at Salina Public Schools, and others like it across Kansas.
The Kansas State Department of Education has invited districts to submit grant proposals for projects that coordinate school-based services with a community mental health center.
At USD 305, the Mental Health Intervention Team, or MHIT, provides grants to hire school liaisons who assist and provide mental health services to students.
Lysell is one of those liaisons. In her role, she works to help ensure students and their families are getting the services that they need. Her team presents options to families and support them throughout the referral process. Then, trained mental health providers in Salina provide the services.
"It's run exactly like you would be seen at the mental health center," Lysell said. "But with the convenience of being on-site at the schools."
Salina Public Schools and the Central Kansas Mental Health Center have been partnering for many years. The MHIT program itself has been in the works since 2019, after the state piloted the grant program in 2018.
This month, the district approved and put forward an application requesting funding for six school liaison positions, totaling $308,333 with a $102,778 district match. These funds pay for the school liaison salaries and benefits, and a payment to Central Kansas Mental Health.
The kinds of services offered through the program include nearly everything Central Kansas Mental Health has to offer, but in the school setting it is primarily therapy, case management and social skill group services. The MHIT is open to students in all district elementary, middle and high schools, including the Salina Virtual Innovation Academy.
What are experts saying about the cause of growing mental health issues among adolescents?
When Lysell began work with the district, she had been with Central Kansas Mental Health for 21 years. Throughout that time, she said she observed a lot of change.
There are many factors that contribute to poor mental health, but some factors experts seem to agree on the most when it comes to young people are effects of social media, and pressures from school and home life.
New kinds of pressures are being put on students, too, Lysell said. Her team sees a lot of students whose parents have legal issues or are going through a divorce. More often, she has noticed parents having their kids as confidants and entrusting their children with social pressures in family situations; a set of impossible circumstances that are just not suitable for the shoulders of a kid trying to navigate middle school science.
"I would say anxiety and depression are the two most major things that we see," Lysell said. "And a lot of those things are related to social media and troubled home life."
Cyberbullying through social media and pressures to fit in not just in the real world but through online platforms has caused heightened anxiety in students.
The MHIT often hears from parents about situations of pages dedicated to bullying and harassment. The MHIT works to report those pages, but they cannot monitor students' social media directly.
"The need (for mental health services) has definitely grown," Lysell said. "Our numbers the first year... we had around 250 students receiving services. And our numbers now are more than 600."
In just two years, the number of students taking advantage of the MHIT program in Salina Schools grew 140%.
The fact that more people are taking advantage of mental health services alone doesn't necessarily mean that problem did not exist before, Lysell said. Part of the story is that more people, young people at least, are doing away with a long-standing stigma around mental health and seeking help.
"People think anxiety is you bite your nails, or you bounce your leg," Lysell said. "True anxiety is so much more than that... there's a healthy level of anxiety and it can be good, but anxiety can be truly debilitating. And that's what we're seeing — the not-healthy anxiety."
When students get the help they need, the result is often better academic and social outcomes
Lysell and her team have observed more young people being open about mental health struggles and their path toward improving their own mental health.
While there are still individuals who prefer and have the right to be more private in that regard, Lysell said she has seen students discuss therapy and other services together in a healthy manner.
"I believe that parents still have more stigma than the kids do," Lysell said. "So, students are talking about it, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Then, sometimes you call the parents, and they'll say, 'oh, they don't really need that.'"
Though there is still progress to be made with the stigma surrounding mental health services, Lysell said it is good to see this transition happening.
Each year, the MHIT completes a report tracking the outcomes of services it provides. The measurable outcomes that have a real impact on students and families include attendance, academics, internalized behaviors and externalized behaviors.
For the 2022-23 school year, here are some of the highlights from that report:
635 students were served in 2022-23, this is a total of 71 more students served than last academic year
Of the 635 students receiving services, 76% improved attendance
Of the 635 students receiving services, 65% improved academic performance
The MHIT had fewer students who received services drop out (0.63%) during the school year
"Good mental health is associated with positive relationships and healthier choices," said Jody Craddock-Iselin, director of support services at USD 305. "Students who feel good physically and mentally perform better academically."
How can a family in Salina Public Schools take advantage of the MHIT program?
Students and families in USD 305 who are interested in mental health services should contact their school counselors or school social workers to get connected with members of the MHIT.
"Kids can never be put into any of those services without parental permission," Lysell said. "The parents have to all agree and fill out the necessary paperwork to complete the referral process."
The MHIT encourages anyone thinking about mental health services to contact them. While taking that step can seem overwhelming, the professionals hired in these roles aim to make the process easy and stress-free as possible.
"Our process really just tries to alleviate a lot of the stress and the wait for families," Lysell said.
Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022, primarily covering county government and education. You can reach him at kcalfee@gannett.com or on Twitter @calfee_kc.
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina Schools program helps support students' mental health needs
