Children’s aggressive and disruptive behaviors draw immediate attention to their need for mental health supports, but quiet students who struggle with anxiety and depression can also have severe needs for supports that can go unaddressed.
In CEA’s What You Don’t See campaign, children, parents, educators, and legislators are drawing attention to the importance of being proactive when it comes to children’s mental health and providing more certified mental health professionals in our schools.
In a video released today (watch below) parent Chris Carlisle shares how his son Gavin’s unaddressed internal struggles led him to take his own life. School counselors, social workers, and psychologists all say they are seeing an increasing number of students presenting with cutting behaviors and suicidal thoughts.
Without being taught from a young age how to manage emotions, children can learn to internalize their problems, keeping their sadness and negative thoughts to themselves until they reach a breaking point, says Falls Village school counselor Sharon Veatch.
Despite national recommendations for one school counselor and one school social worker for every 250 students, Connecticut’s average is 457 students to one counselor and 580 students to one social worker.
Watch the video below, and share with legislators what they don’t see.
