As America’s K-12 schools face a shortage of health professionals, U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) wants to ensure they are in the best position possible to meet the mental health needs of the nation’s students.
“The COVID pandemic exacted a drastic toll on America’s youth, robbing them of important milestones and isolating millions of students during a critical point in their development,” the congressman said in a July 5 statement. “As a result, our young people are struggling with their mental health, and improvements and increased accessibility to mental health care in schools are badly needed.”
Student mental health concerns can be addressed, added Rep. Emmer, “but we must provide adequate resources and clear best practices to give young Americans the support they need.”
Toward those goals, Rep. Emmer sent a July 1 letter to U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona seeking clarity on the coordination, funding and implementation of mental health resources in schools.
Specifically, Rep. Emmer asked whether the U.S. Department of Education has consulted with other federal agencies, like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on best practices for providing mental health care to students.
Among several other questions, Rep. Emmer asked Secretary Cardona whether the department has considered factors like COVID-19 and the rise of social media in its guidance for current grant programs, and if best practices for tracking student mental health as students advance in their education have been studied.
“Left untreated, mental illness can have dire consequences,” Rep. Emmer wrote. “Yet even in far less extreme circumstances, struggling students risk falling behind in their schoolwork, becoming isolated from their peers, or compromising their physical health.
“While families and local communities must take the lead in providing for the wellbeing of our youth, your department has an important role to play as well,” wrote the lawmaker. “We must explore all ways to help our nation’s youth.”