Re: “Focus on youth mental health or face unimaginable costs” [Dec. 7, Opinion]:
What higher approach to handle our youth psychological well being disaster than specializing in early intervention, normalizing asking for assist and decreasing boundaries to getting care? That is precisely what school-based well being facilities in our state do, by offering built-in medical and psychological well being care the place college students already spend a lot of their time — at college. And never surprisingly, psychological well being points are one of many most important causes college students search care at school-based well being facilities.
Whereas there are greater than 70 school-based well being middle websites in additional than 30 faculty districts in Washington, that leaves roughly 90% of college districts with no school-based well being middle. That should change. It is a confirmed mannequin that improves college students’ psychological and bodily well being, bettering skill to be taught. With youth-centered well being schooling and companies out there at college, extra college students are prone to keep wholesome, really feel supported, be in school able to be taught and graduate.
The Legislature could make a major distinction by investing extra in school-based well being facilities, so each scholar has entry to this unbelievable useful resource, particularly these most impacted by inequities in our schooling and well being care programs.
Sandy Lennon, govt director, Washington Faculty-Based mostly Well being Alliance
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