A new report card on in-school mental health services found some states, including Alaska, are making significant progress toward meeting policy goals but more work needs to be done.

Inseparable, a national mental health advocacy organization, has issued guidelines to expand school mental health services, including workforce development, teacher training, and well-being checks.

Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, a physician assistant who also serves as a school health officer, said emotional problems among Alaska students are at crisis levels.

"Sadly, Alaska has the highest rate of teen suicides in the U.S.," Giessel reported. "So yes, it doesn't matter if you live in a city in Alaska or a rural community. It's a huge problem."

Inseparable's report showed Alaska has improved in areas such as teacher training, coaching life skills, and Medicaid coverage for services. However, the state falls short in student screenings, mental health literacy, telemedicine access and in-school mental health staff.

Polls have shown eight of 10 voters support improved access to mental health services in K-12 schools through increased training and hiring school psychologists, social workers and counselors.

Caitlin Hochul, vice president of public policy for Inseparable, said engaging students before their issues become a crisis heads off problems later in life.

"When you catch a condition early and you get treatment that you need early, you have better outcomes," Hochul reported. "You're more likely to be more engaged in school and have academic success and perform better in the workforce later on."

Giessel sponsored legislation last year to create more sustainable funding for in-school mental health services. She stressed the bill is designed to use state Medicaid funding to expand the program but worries about proposed health care cuts in the federal budget.

"There is huge concern," Giessel acknowledged. "We're a small population. We're the second or third-smallest state, but we stand to lose $2 billion in federal funding. There's no way our budget can make up that kind of shortfall."

The California Parent and Youth Helpline is in serious jeopardy after Gov. Gavin Newsom cut it from the new state budget, saying the money was needed to support medical services.

Advocates said they are puzzled because the governor has championed the helpline for years, and lawmakers approved $3 million from a separate fund dedicated to mental health, which does not affect the deficit.

Lisa Pion-Berlin, president and CEO of the nonprofit Parents Anonymous, which runs the helpline, said it is still operating 24/7, for now.

"We're holding on for the next month or so," Pion-Berlin pointed out. "But we need the state to step up, or one of these well-off philanthropists who cares about having that immediate help for emotional support, which is so vital."

Advocates are hoping funding can be restored via a budget trailer bill in the next few weeks. People can call or text and reach the helpline's trained counselors at 877-427-2736. The free helpline has connected with more than 120,000 people since its inception five years ago, and the website CAParentYouthHelpline.org has reached a million more.

Pion-Berlin noted a study in the Journal of Technology in Human Services found a call to the helpline can quickly ease parents' suffering and feelings of isolation.

"The research said that 85% of the callers in less than 30 minutes feel more positive, more hopeful and able to address their issues," Pion-Berlin reported. "There is no other service or pill I know that can do that in 30 minutes or less."

Parents Anonymous also offers free weekly support groups to steer parents and kids through emotional crises of all kinds.

Minnesota teens are using their summer break to set aside added stress and anxiety they deal with during school and as the age group gets more attention for its mental health needs, parents of younger kids are urged not to miss warning signs.

The Minnesota chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics hosted a discussion coinciding with the start of summer. As parents spend more time with their kids over the next few months, health professionals said persistent behavioral issues among preschool age children should not completely be written off as phases.

Dr. Helen Egger, a child psychiatrist, said key data is consistent with other age groups.

"The rate of impairing mental health disorders in preschool children, here we're talking about children 2-5, is actually the same as the rate in older children and adults," Egger explained.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted the number of adolescents reporting poor mental health is increasing. For younger kids, Egger pointed out pediatricians and parents need to be mindful of things like excessive tantrums or trouble eating and sleeping. She warned there is a misconception kids are resilient and those problems will fade away.

Egger added there is a connection between parental stress and behavioral issues in young children. She recommended parents take an active role in family therapy interventions to benefit the whole household.

"Sixty percent of the families who, when they started therapy, said that they had an unmanageable level of stress," Egger noted. "For 60% after 12 or more sessions, they were at a manageable level of stress."

Egger emphasized Minnesota has strong resources for parents to turn to when figuring out the appropriate interventions. She pointed to the website for the Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health as a key option.


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By Brittany Noble for WISH-TV.
Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service Collaboration

June marks Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, highlighting the challenges men face in receiving mental health treatment and diagnosis compared to women.

Dr. Danielle Henderson, a clinical psychologist at IU Health, explains that societal expectations contribute to the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. Phrases like ‘man up’ and ‘toughen up’ discourage men from expressing emotions, impacting their mental well-being.

“For a lot of men, they feel like they have to keep everything in,” said Henderson. “They’ve been taught or directly told that emotions don’t matter.”

Men suffering from mental illness may exhibit symptoms such as increased substance use, irritability, aggression, and isolation. These behaviors can be indicators of underlying mental health issues like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder.

Henderson notes that men may use more lethal means and act impulsively in cases of suicide, making it crucial to recognize and address these symptoms early.

Creating a space for conversation and checking in on loved ones can be vital steps in supporting men’s mental health.


Brittany Noble wrote this article for WISH-TV.


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