As the number of young people experiencing depression and anxiety continues to grow, schools play a critical role as providers of mental health services: Some 70% of children in the U.S. who seek and receive mental health support get it at school.
“School-based services help students navigate the system,” says Kelly Vaillancourt Strobach, director of policy and advocacy at the National Association of School Psychologists. “It can be very daunting for a parent with a child who is struggling. When there are services at schools, kids are more likely to ask for help.”
They may also be more likely to get help sooner: Due to a lack of mental health providers nationwide, the wait to see a private practitioner is as long as six months in some areas.
