All year long, advocates and lawmakers in Harrisburg talked about the importance of mental health in schools. Their reward? $100 million dedicated specifically to mental health and security issues in schools.
Now that the school year is launched, advocates have the chance to see how those funds are being used in their community.
Each district got a guaranteed $100,000 dollars, and they could then apply for grants to request more funds.
In our viewing area, most districts got around $130 thousand dollars, though larger districts got more. Erie School District got over $300 thousand dollars.
“We had one elementary school counselor in between both of our elementary school buildings. They found the uptick in need that that wasn't feasible,” said Mike Simmons, school counselor with General McLane school district, and the northwest director for the Pennsylvania School Counselor’s Association (PSCA). "So they hired another school counselor. So we have one in each building.”
PSCA’s executive director Emilia Mattucci shared that school counselors are a wise investment for districts wanting to improve student mental health, but they need to be aware of a counselors role to serve the whole student body.
“I have over 300 students. Do I have time to provide weekly therapy to all of them? No, absolutely not. And that's not my role,” said Mattucci. "My role is more to see the student, assess if they need to be referred out for a higher level of, you know, more intensive services. That's what I do.”
Districts looking to give students access to more individualized service are hiring school psychologists and social workers—or contracting with outside experts. This leaves school counselors free to shape the building environments.
“We really want to make sure we're adding small groups, or whether it be a check in, check out— whatever the needs are,” said Ann Kostiuk, the north central director for PSCA.
A new report from the CDC shows American youth are less depressed, but facing more instances of violence in their schools.
Stepping into 2024, counselors say they have seen an increase of anxiety in their student populations.
“I have never had as many students trying to manage anxiety as I seem to have now,” said Mattucci.
But, they have also seen more students willing to learn and get help.
“Sometimes you're just not aware that the anxiety, what it is, how it functions and how you deal with it. And so I think that awareness is a big help for a lot of our kids.”