Mental Health Social Media

IMPORTANT

Federal Aid Is

Available

to Schools

Battling the

Post-Pandemic

Mental Health

Crisis

But the Window for

Federal Funding

Will Close on

December 31, 2024

ESSER funding may be

over, but you can

take advantage

of ARPA

funding!

BACKGROUND

The Youth Mental Health Crisis

The COVID-pandemic is usually blamed for starting the youth mental health crisis, but facts show that emotional and behavioral problems among children and teens had been increasing over the prior 10 to 15 years.

In the decade leading up to the pandemic, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System reported a 40% increase in persistent sadness and hopelessness, as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Between 2016 and 2019, the number of children diagnosed

with anxiety or depression grew by 27% and 24%,

respectively. That’s a sizeable jump in only 3 years. Mental health professionals believe the roots of the crisis are multi-factorial, and point to social media, academic and sports pressure, gender and identity issues, and other causes.

What COVID did was worsen a growing crisis by

upending the academic and social lives of children and teens. Young people found themselves isolated from peers, teachers, family, and community. They mourned the death of relatives and saw parents lose jobs. A sizeable percentage also became victims of emotional and physical abuse in the home. Consequences

were higher rates of anxiety, depression, sleep issues, withdrawal from family and aggressive behavior and significantly more pediatric emergency room visits for mental health services.

COVID-19’s impact on mental health was evident even after the lockdown ended and schools reopened.

In a Rand Corporation

survey conducted in

the spring of 2022,

75% of parents said

their child would

benefit from mental

health counseling –

up from 68% in 2021.

About a third said

their child had recently

shown symptoms of

mental health issues,

including anxiety and

depression.

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SUMMARY

COVID-19 worsened a growing crisis in

youth mental health by increasing social

isolation and diminishing connections with

peers, teachers, family, and community.

Today, students are still feeling the

pandemic’s negative impact on their

emotional well-being and academic

progress.

The mental health of teachers has also

suffered. Burnout-related teacher turnover

has fallen from its 2022 peak, but staff

losses continue to impact class sizes and

educational quality.

The good news is that billions of dollars

in Federal pandemic relief are available

to address these challenges in the form

of Elementary and Secondary School

Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund grants

and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

fund grants.

4 The obligation deadline

for ARPA funding is 12/31/24.

4 Schools/districts must act now to

secure these funds or forfeit them.

These funds provide a lifeline for schools/

districts to address the academic, social,

emotional, and mental health needs

associated with the pandemic. Funds can

be used for evidence-based mental health

practices that benefit the entire academic

community, such as social and emotional

training for teachers and students, adding

more mental health professionals to staff,

and increasing connections to private and

community-based supports.

Since children and teens spend so much time in the classroom, schools offer a tremendous opportunity

for problem prevention or early identification and intervention. However, more school counselors and

school psychologists are needed to meet the growing demand for services. Hiring is a challenge given budget limitations amid stiff competition for a limited number of qualified candidates.

Historically, teachers have played a critical role in identifying emotional and behavioral problems early and recommending mental health assessments and

follow-up. Teachers, however, face increasing mental health challenges of their own that impact the school environment.

Teacher Burnout: Chronic Stress from

Increasing Demands

Teaching has always been stressful, but COVID-19

exacerbated the problems, forcing teachers to work harder and longer due to changes in teaching modalities and staffing shortages. Today, teachers report they are still working extended hours to help students catch up on pandemic-related gaps in knowledge and fill in for colleagues who left the profession or retired early due to COVID. Job dissatisfaction has rebounded somewhat from recent lows, but low morale is still a problem. FAST FACTS

During COVID, the anxiety level of

teachers exceeded that of healthcare

workers.

Source: Educational Researcher

Teachers and principals are more

likely than other professions to report

burnout and symptoms of depression

and less likely to feel resilient.

Source: CDC

When teachers have poor mental

health, schools have lower-quality

learning environments and students

do not perform as well academically.

Source: CDC

In 2023, 66% of teachers were satisfied

with their jobs – up from 56% in 2022.

Despite the increase, they remained

less satisfied with their jobs than U.S.

workers generally.

Sources: Education Week and Pew Research Center

The growing mental health crisis among students has adversely affected the emotional wellbeing and job satisfaction of teachers, thereby compromising the quality of the entire school environment. Focusing on the mental health of both teachers and students can improve academic performance, leading to higher

school and district rankings.

Effects of the pandemic on teen mental health

Percent of parents noticing a new problem or

worsening of an existing problem

TEEN GIRLS TEEN BOYS

36% 19%

31% 18%

24% 21%

14% 13%

9% 8%

Anxiety

Depression

Sleep Issues

Withdrawing from Family

Aggressive Behavior

Source: CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health 2021 3

LOOKING AHEAD

You Can Use ARPA Funds the Way Some

Districts Use ESSER Funding

While ESSER funds have an obligation date of

September 30, 2024, ARPA funds have an obligation

date of December 31, 2024, which means you can still take advantage of them.

$120B

100B

80B

60B

40B

20B $13.2B

First round

(CARES Act)

Second round

(CRRSA Act)

Third round

(ARP Act)

$54.3B

$122B

Amount of money distributed to states and districts through the Elementary and Secondary School

Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund

Schools/districts must use this funding to address pandemic-related challenges, such as helping students and teachers with mental health needs and addressing learning loss due to remote instruction during lockdown. Reports on fund utilization show there are many ways these dollars are being used. Two of the more common ones include:

More School-Based Mental Health Professionals

With more Federal aid, schools have made headway

in hiring more mental health professionals to staff. Compared to pre-pandemic years, the number of

school-based social workers, school nurses, and

psychologists in the U.S. had increased by 30%, 29% and 6%, respectively, as of December 2023.

(Source: Current Population Survey; President’s Council of Economic Advisers calculation)

Schools and districts in many states have reported on their plans for ESSER-funded mental health initiatives. South Carolina, for example, is using ESSER funding to hire school-based mental health professionals with master’s degrees. These staff members will provide students with assessment, intervention, and treatment services, including individual, group, and family therapy. New Jersey is using ESSER assistance in a similar way and plans to establish a grant to districts that will make new mental health services and supports available to both students and educators.

New Private and Community Partnerships

While some schools are adding to staff, others

are forming new partnerships with mental health

organizations. Rhode Island, for example, has earmarked ESSER funds to build partnerships between districts and community-based organizations that will address family engagement and social and emotional learning.

Public school districts in 40 states have formed successful partnerships with Care Solace, a mental health care coordination service that increases capacity for existing school staff by navigating the complexities of the mental healthcare system on behalf of families to get them quickly connected and into an appointment with an

appropriate treatment provider from a vetted network. The Methuen Public Schools is one of several school systems in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that

has used the service successfully for several years to help students and staff. Other Care Solace partners include the Rutherford County Schools in Nashville, Tennessee the Wayne Westland Community Schools in Metro Detroit, and the school system of Bullitt County Kentucky.

Take Action

ARPA funds offer immediate opportunities for schools to hire more mental health professionals and partner with community organizations or private service providers. This emergency relief provides significant hope not only for the emotional wellbeing of students and faculty but ultimately for improved academic outcomes. Funding is ready and waiting, but it’s essential that schools do not delay. The absolute deadline for obligations is December 31, 2024. Contact U.S. Retirement & Benefits

Partners (USRBP) today to discover how to

obtain ARPA funds and direct them to your

school or district’s mental health needs

before the December 31, 2024 deadline.

Don’t miss out on these FREE funds and the tools,

programs, and services they can bring to your students and teachers.

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