As mental health issues among young people rise, schools have become a crucial venue for providing the necessary support. However, Washington state is falling short in meeting the mental health needs of its students.
A 2022 report by the mental health advocacy organization Inseparable revealed a significant disparity in the availability of mental health professionals across the state’s schools. The ratio of students to counselors and psychologists is far higher than recommended, with Washington state having one school counselor for every 465 students—well above the ideal ratio of one counselor for every 250 students.
Eric Bruns, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of schools in addressing youth mental health. “Schools are where kids spend the majority of their waking hours outside of home, and we have professionals there who can observe and support struggling students,” Bruns said, noting that schools are uniquely positioned to provide mental health services in a systematic and informal way.
Despite these opportunities, mental health professionals are unevenly distributed. In some schools, the shortage is especially dire, with one psychologist serving over 1,400 students. Experts argue that this imbalance further exacerbates the challenges students face in accessing timely mental health care.
Advocates are calling on state lawmakers to take action during the current legislative session to increase funding for mental health services in schools. Anna Nepomuceno, director of public policy for the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Washington, emphasized the need for greater resources and expanded Medicaid coverage for mental health services in schools. She explained that many students rely on school-based support due to gaps in their healthcare coverage. “There are a lot of students whose health insurance doesn’t provide adequate mental health care, or they have trouble finding a therapist—especially if they rely on Medicaid,” Nepomuceno said. “The waitlist to see a therapist can be extremely long, particularly when it comes to youth mental health.”
In response, the Superintendent of Public Instruction has proposed nearly $6 million in grants aimed at helping school districts with limited access to behavioral health services.
Nepomuceno shared that school mental health services were essential to her own well-being during her youth. “I went to a high school in a more affluent area, and we had a school psychologist and a therapist. I actually saw both of them,” Nepomuceno recalled. “I don’t know if I’d be alive today if I hadn’t had access to those services when I was young.”
As the mental health needs of students continue to grow, advocates urge state lawmakers to prioritize funding for school-based mental health services, ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have access to the care they need.
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