Praise for state action on mental health; necessary personnel

New York State is joining parents in the fight to help children through a number of newly implemented initiatives as the rate of mental health problems among young people raises concerns. Parents and professionals judge what they see working.

Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a multi-year, $1 billion initiative aimed at updating the accessibility of mental health care and significantly reducing unmet mental health needs across the state. The overall initiative was well received by the school districts accepting the investment.

The governor’s initiative created mental health clinics in 137 school districts across the state by 2023, bringing the total to more than 1,200 locations. Collaborative efforts between districts and organizations seeking to expand mental health clinics help foster a stigma-free environment for students.

Corinne Andrianus, a school-based clinician in the South Colonie School District, highlighted the post-pandemic surge in mental health challenges facing youth and emphasized the need to develop social skills and empathy.

“Coming out of the COVID pandemic, I’ve seen an increase in depression, anxiety and especially loneliness, kids not feeling as connected to their peers,” Andrianus said. “Some of them are working on those social skills and practicing empathy and forming friendships.”

Amy Kappes, a social worker with the Kingston City School District, explained the different levels of intervention offered, ranging from home visits to daily support from community partners.

“We have different levels of intervention. So that can be anything from doing home visits and referrals and working with our community partners or community agencies, to supporting them on a day-to-day basis,” Kappes said.

On-site mental health clinics serve to normalize discussions around mental health and provide timely support from trained professionals, noted Eddie Schwimmer, Kingston Schools social worker.

“The ways to create resilience and connect with kids is to really involve them, to have them find a place where they feel seen and heard and comfortable where they’re pursuing an interest that they really enjoy,” Schwimmer said.

However, challenges persist.

Amy DiRamio, director of behavioral services at Northern Rivers Family of Services, touched on the critical shortage of mental health professionals.

“There’s a critical shortage of mental health professionals as well, whether it’s doctors, psychiatric nurses, clinicians,” DiRamio said.

As lawmakers gather at the Capitol to discuss this year’s budget allocation, stakeholders, including youth, parents and organizations, are voicing their priorities for addressing the needs of young people.

Cody Hauptman, a student at Sequoya High School, emphasized the importance of recognizing mental illness in teenagers.

“A lot of people look for mental illness in adults instead of teenagers, and when they see teens going through mental illness, they think it’s normal teenage behavior, and it’s not,” Hauptman said.

Concerned parent Faith Beattie stressed the collective responsibility of parents to support their children’s mental wellbeing.

“If we as parents don’t do what we need to do for our children, then they fall between the cracks. And who should they blame? You know, except for us. So we have to do what’s right for our kids,” Beatty said.

Statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Health underscore the urgency for action, revealing the increased risk of dropping out of school among high school students facing depression and the prevalence of mental disorders among youth ages 6-17.

Andrian reiterated the importance of tailoring support to individual needs, emphasizing the importance of building trust and rapport in the therapeutic process.

“Some children may come in with different levels of needs, and from there they may need different levels of trust building and different levels of connection,” she said.