By Moryt Milo
Nationwide, headlines describe teens in emotional crisis, struggling with high levels of anxiety and depression. Yet, many have questioned whether the news is overblown.
Counselors and therapists working with teens said the crisis is real. The pandemic laid it bare, with parent referrals skyrocketing by 700% for mental health services, CASSY Executive Director Marico Sayoc said. Everyone was at home and parents began to understand what was happening to their children on a daily basis, which was exacerbated by remote learning, isolation, and social media.
In fact, California is at the bottom third of states when it comes to a child’s well-being, with rates of depression and suicidal feelings steadily increasing in the last decade, Sayoc said.
“The No. 1 reason for hospitalizations of a school-age child is a mental health admission,” she said. “All the services come when it’s an emergency.”
CASSY provides counseling and support services to 40 schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The Milpitas-based organization helps to offset school administrator responsibilities by connecting with students and providing school-based counseling.
“During the pandemic schools were asked to provide everything for their communities, now they are asked to provide school-based mental health services as the conduit to all youth in crisis,” Sayoc said.
School-based counseling has demonstrated that it is a strong support system for multiple reasons.
When mental health counseling is on campus, numerous barriers are immediately eliminated. There are no logistical issues when it comes to arranging transportation or a time to meet therapists off-site. There is also no cost for the counseling services.
Another big issue is fear and stigma, especially for an elementary-school student. In a school setting, the counselor or therapist is someone who is part of the community. The child is connecting with a familiar face.
Third, with organizations like CASSY on campus, they can provide classroom presentations on mental health which increases the number of students an agency can reach. This means at some point all students will have exposure to a therapist, helping to destigmatize mental health and normalize seeing a therapist on campus.
The impact of this approach is apparent. Sayoc said that in Santa Clara County 100% of students and families referred to school-based mental health services receive them. Compared to just 8% of students and families following up when referred to off-site clinics.
Sayoc said that when a student and family meet with counselors at the school everything is confidential and the agency abides by HIPAA requirements, unless there is a risk to the school, family, or individual. Then CASSY is obliged to report the matter.
The program’s impact supports the school-based structure:
- 97% of students and parents said school-based counseling met their needs and would refer the services to peers and other parents.
- 98% of students increased or stabilized their daily functioning.
- 98% of students made progress on at least one of their treatment goals.
“By building that strong community network of mental health, you really do ripple it out into the entire community,” Sayoc said.
There is still much work to be done, especially in helping students and parents navigate the social media landscape. Sayoc and Ida Price Middle School Principal Margaret Lavin noted the plethora of evidence on the harm being caused to students by social media.
Lavin, whose school is part of the Cambrian School District, was awarded the NAMI-Santa Clara County 2023 Community Merit Award for its work in mental health awareness. Lavin said the more time a child spends on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat, the less self-esteem they have. To help reduce their time, Lavin suggested parents take the child’s devices away at night.
“This is when all the bullying happens and really dangerous activities like meeting someone at night,” she said.
Sayoc pointed out that these platforms keep children in a loop that keeps them spiraling in a negative manner. All of which factor into the emotional well-being of teens and even elementary-school children.
“Working with students early to meet students where they are and destigmatize mental health gives them coping skills, gives them the ability to learn never to hesitate to seek out support,” she said. “You are building stronger skills, and they don’t have to be silent.”
To watch Marico Sayoc’s YouTube presentation, click here.
