Public Schools Report Obstacles in Providing Mental Health Services

 

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) releases today the latest round of findings from the School Pulse Panel (SPP). These SPP data examine topics on staff and student mental health and well-being, public schools’ handling of students who have sustained concussions or other traumatic brain injuries, and anticipated hiring needs prior to the 2024-25 school year, during the 2023-24 school year, as reported by school leaders in U.S. public schools. Key Findings Mental Health and Well-Being Nearly all public schools provide some sort of mental health services to students (97 percent) during the 2023-24 school year. The most commonly reported mental health services for students offered by public schools are individual-based intervention (84 percent), case management (70 percent), providing external referrals (67 percent), and group-based intervention (64 percent). Among public schools offering any type of mental health services to students (97 percent): On average, public schools reported that 19 percent of their student body utilize school-based mental health services. The majority of public schools used a mix of provider types (2 or more) to provide mental health services to students (75 percent, a statistically significant decrease from 2021-22 [80 percent]). The providers include school counselors (75 percent, a statistically significant decrease from 2021-22 [83 percent]), school- or district-employed licensed mental health professionals (67 percent), outside practices or programs (57 percent), and school nurses (17 percent, a statistically significant decrease from 2021-22 [25 percent]). Forty-eight percent of public schools agreed with the statement “My school is able to effectively provide mental health services to all students in need,” which is a statistically significant decrease from the percent that agreed during the 2021-22 school year (56 percent). The most commonly cited factors that limit schools’ efforts to effectively provide mental health services to all students who need them are insufficient mental health professional staff coverage to manage caseload (55 percent), inadequate funding (54 percent), and inadequate access to licensed mental health professionals (49 percent). Thirty-seven percent of public schools reported using federal grants or other federal programs to fund mental health services for students, a statistically significant decrease from the 53 percent that reported using these funds during the 2021-22 school year. Compared to last school year (2022-23), Fifty-eight percent of public schools reported that the percentage of students who sought school-based mental health services increased, including 19 percent that reported it “increased a lot.” Sixty-one percent of public schools reported that the percentage of staff expressing concerns with students’ exhibiting depression, anxiety, trauma, or emotional dysregulation/disturbance increased, including 23 percent that reported it “increased a lot.” Eighty-five percent of public schools reported that staff have access to mental health services through the school. The most commonly reported services available to staff are employee assistance programs (EAPs) that have a mental health component (59 percent), referrals to mental health services outside of school (37 percent), and mental health-related professional development (33 percent). Traumatic Brain Injuries Thirty-eight percent of public schools reported that they have had to support at least one student returning to the classroom after sustaining a concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the 2023-24 school year. Compared to the national estimate (38 percent), a higher percentage of public schools with the following characteristics reported having to support at least one student returning to the classroom after sustaining a concussion or other TBI: With 1,000 or more students (70 percent) High/secondary schools (57 percent) Middle/combined schools (53 percent) With a student body made up of less than 25 percent students of color (51 percent) In the Northeast (49 percent) Compared to the national estimate (38 percent), a lower percentage of public schools with the following characteristics reported having to support at least one student returning to the classroom after sustaining a concussion or other TBI: Elementary schools (24 percent) In high-poverty neighborhoods (24 percent) With a student body made up of greater than 75 percent students of color (25 percent) With fewer than 300 students (28 percent) In cities (30 percent) Fifty-eight percent of public schools reported that they have at least one person who is trained on how to help students adjust back into classroom activities after sustaining a concussion or TBI, while 94 percent reported they have staff at the school who could be trained in this area. Seventy-five percent of public schools reported that they have a concussion or TBI policy. Upcoming Hiring Cycle Sixty-seven percent of public schools anticipate having to fill multiple teaching vacancies before the 2024-25 school year, which is a statistically significant increase from the percentage of public schools that had such expectations prior to the 2022-23 school year1 (56 percent). Compared to the national estimate (67 percent), a higher percentage of public schools with the following characteristics reported having multiple teaching vacancies to fill before the 2024-25 school year: With more than 1,000 students (86 percent) In the South (76 percent) With 500 to 999 students (74 percent) Compared to the national estimate (67 percent), a lower percentage of public schools with the following characteristics reported having multiple teaching vacancies to fill before the 2024-25 school year: With less than 300 students (59 percent) In the West (59 percent) With a student body made up of less than 25 percent students of color (61 percent) For teaching positions, some of the most commonly anticipated positions that will need to be filled prior to the 2024-25 school year are: general elementary (58 percent), special education (52 percent), math (34 percent), and English/language arts (33 percent). Fifty-nine percent of public schools anticipate having to fill multiple non-teaching staff positions before the 2024-25 school year, which is a statistically significant increase from the percentage of public schools that had such expectations prior to the 2022-23 school year1 (45 percent). For non-teaching staff positions, some of the most commonly anticipated positions that will need to be filled prior to the 2024-25 school year are: classroom aides (45 percent), transportation staff (36 percent), custodial staff (26 percent) and tutors (22 percent). Anticipated teaching and non-teaching staff vacancies prior to the 2022-23 school year data were collected in June 2022.