Dive Brief:
- Schools should partner with pediatricians and community-based health services to address the increased demand for youth mental health supports, according to a report released Tuesday by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit that works with Democrats and Republicans on legislation.
- The U.S. Department of Education, along with other federal agencies, should provide guidance and technical support for youth crisis response across various settings, including K-12 schools, higher education, homes, and military and community settings, the report recommends.
- Higher demand for youth mental services — along with shortages of youth behavioral specialists — point to a greater need for local, state and federal collaboration and policy change, the report said.
Dive Insight:
"When we think about the child, we really need to think about where the child is at all times," Dr. Sandy Chung, a pediatrician from Northern Virginia and former president of the American Association of Pediatrics, said during a virtual briefing on the report Tuesday.
"So they are at school for much of their day, obviously, and throughout the school day, they may show symptoms of mental health or behavioral health conditions," Chung said. "And so absolutely, schools are necessary in order to address this crisis."
Students’ mental and behavioral struggles, increased chronic absenteeism rates, and academic setbacks have been priority areas for school administrators and policy leaders as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While much of Tuesday's report focused on potential improvements to healthcare systems for youth behavioral health and substance use services, K-12 and colleges are essential partners as well, said Michele Gazda, associate director of the health program at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
For example, the report recommends that higher education institutions add crisis line resources to student identification cards so the information is easily accessible.
Another report from the center, released in September 2024, focused on steps the federal government could take to reduce the adverse influence social media can play in youth mental well-being. Those recommendations included expanding social media literacy for students and strengthening privacy protections for youth.
The center said it plans to issue another report in a few months focused on prevention, early identification and intervention for youth mental health challenges.
Former U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who served under President George W. Bush, is the center's president and CEO.
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