MEMBER FOCUS
Mental Health Awareness Month
Prioritizing student mental health
by David Ngô
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness for those living with mental or behavioral health issues to reduce the stigma behind mental health.
Classified employees like licensed-vocational nurses (LVNs), health aides and other health professionals are often the first to recognize mental health challenges among students. Since welcoming students back for in-person learning, many of these classified employees have experienced a shift in their responsibilities.
“The health assistant and LVN role has changed so much within the last two years,” said Brandie Strachan, an LVN and chapter secretary for Palmdale Chapter 296. “The health staff have learned to be flexible, capable and to become more united as a group to support students through this process.”
The impacts of the pandemic have placed added pressure on school healthcare staff, school psychologists and mental-health specialists alike.
Last October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association jointly declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health.
Brandie Strachan is a licensed-vocational nurse at Palmdale Elementary
This announcement shows just how the emotional toll of the pandemic has affected student learning, and the growing need to increase efforts against depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges among youth.
“The health staff have learned to be flexible, capable and to become more united as a group to support students through this process.”
- Brandie Strachan, LVN and chapter secretary for Palmdale Chapter 296
“It is inarguable that we are in the midst of a mental health crisis in California,” said State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge), who introduced Senate Bill (SB) 224 to increase age-appropriate mental health education in public schools. “Even before the pandemic, the rate of students struggling with mental health problems such as depression has steadily risen over the years.”
SB 224, which went into effect on January 1, requires all school districts to offer health classes that include curriculum on mental health. Through CSEA-endorsed Senator Portantino’s successful bill, the California Department of Education is now working to incorporate mental health into new materials by January 1, 2023.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it is unfortunate that we neglect it in our curriculum,” Senator Portantino said in a press release announcing SB 224. “By educating kids from a young age, we can bring these issues out of the shadows and end the stigma and taboo surrounding the discussion of mental health.”
The California School-Based Health Alliance (CSHA), a statewide nonprofit that works to increase health services in public education, helps schools and communities advocate for school-based healthcare to better serve students.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it is unfortunate that we neglect it in our curriculum.”
- State Senator Anthony J. Portantino
As a supporter of all school nurses, CSHA understands the importance of properly screening for mental health issues while students are in school.
“Nurses understand the connection between physical and mental health,” said Marcel Reynolds, a spokesperson for CSHA. “Many students with mental health needs such as grief, anxiety or depression are more likely to identify physical symptoms and seek help from a health center or school nurse.”
Today’s focus on mental health awareness may have been accelerated in the last two years, but there has always been a need to talk about student mental health. CSEA members like Strachan, who are working in school healthcare, have been able to navigate the changing landscape of school healthcare through professional versatility.
“Our position is ever-changing so luckily we have learned to adapt and be flexible,” said Strachan. “I want to commend all the health classified personnel for stepping up and doing everything asked of them during this very fluid time.”
Conversations during Mental Health Awareness Month have evolved over the years, but now it is finally turning into action.
CSHA spokesperson Reynolds emphasizes that throughout the last two years, school health practitioners have seen how young people are impacted. And with so many CSEA members working in school healthcare, they are among the first to advocate for more support in improving student wellness.
With creating positive youth mental outcomes as the ultimate end goal, school healthcare staff are well equipped to prioritize student mental health because of their diverse skillsets.
“School healthcare workers work in coordination and extension of the larger health care safety net to help students and their families get needed specialty mental health care when they are in crisis,” Reynolds said. “They work as part of a team with licensed clinical social care workers and other behavioral health providers who can help students cope with a wide array of difficulties they may face.”
