How Carelon Behavioral Health’s school-based solutions support the rise in youth mental health needs
Mental health, historically underappreciated, has a significant effect on youth academic performance and educational success. According to youth.gov, when students are in good mental health, they are significantly more likely to go to school ready to learn . They are more likely to actively engage in school activities, have supportive and caring connections with their peers and adults, use appropriate problem-solving skills, and add to positive school culture.
Carelon Behavioral Health’s new student assistance program (SAP) helps to foster improved youth mental health, which can lead to more academically and socially engaged students. “Our children are in crisis,” says Linda Henderson-Smith, PhD, LPC, Senior Product Management Director at Carelon Behavioral Health. “What better way to serve them than to meet them where they are?”
The current state of youth mental health in the United States
A crisis has emerged in the United States affecting the state of youth mental health. According to the 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report , nearly 20% of children and youth aged 3-17 in the United States experience a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. Suicidal behaviors among high school students, including ideation, planning, and attempts, increased more than 40% between 2009-2019.
The report also found that mental health challenges were the leading cause of death and disability in this age group, and that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these trends.
More than 1 in 20 young people ages 12 and over currently report depression , according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
How youth mental health correlates with academic achievement
Understandably, mental health challenges have a significant negative impact on youth school performance. If a student experiences a mental health illness, and they do not receive adequate treatment, the student is at an increased risk of reduced academic achievement, school suspensions, and school absences , according to the Center for Applied Research Solutions. Emotional and behavioral health issues present significant barriers to a student’s learning, academic success, and performance on standardized tests.
State-specific strategies to address youth mental health needs
However, proven methods help mitigate these barriers and effects on academic performance. According to Psychiatry Online, growing data indicates that integrating mental health supports and services directly within the school setting is an effective delivery system treating youth mental health. Building these mental health supports directly into schools, in partnership with the greater community, leads to positive social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes for youth.
The article also states that several states are adopting measures to address youth mental health in school settings:
- Maryland is building school mental health infrastructure, training, and implementation support into the state school safety budget
- Massachusetts is implementing a statewide school mental health consortium, executed locally, to enhance shared learning and networking across districts
- Minnesota is using local school mental health impact data to push state government and Medicaid leaders to fund statewide school mental health
- Wisconsin is utilizing federal funding to establish state school mental health framework
The role of schools in supporting youth mental health
Because children and youth spend the majority of their time in school , according to youth.gov, schools play an increasingly critical role in providing students with a safe, non-stigmatizing, supportive environment. Children, youth, and families are increasingly seeking access to prevention, early intervention, and treatment through school-based mental health programs.
Challenges schools face in providing mental health resources
Unfortunately, school resources are scarce, so schools are often limited as to how many resources they can allocate towards student mental health. A recent study from Duke University indicated that some school systems employ as few as one mental health provider for thousands of students.
The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) also found that during the 2021–22 school year, there was approximately just one psychologist for every 1,127 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across the United States – far fewer than NASP’s goal of one per every 500 students.
NASP’s findings are not unusual. According to edweek.org , only 8% of districts meet the recommended ratio of school psychologists to students.
Strategies for enhancing student mental health supports
However, schools can take advantage of strategies that help enhance student mental health support. Care coordination is a treatment model linked to improved patient, family and health system outcomes. The National Association for School Nurses defines school-based care coordination as a system of interlinking, evidence-based interventions that oversee and support the health and well-being of students experiencing chronic health conditions.
Carelon Behavioral Health’s school-based solution to supporting youth mental health
The Carelon Behavioral Health school assistance program (SAP) fills a gap in behavioral health care access for students by integrating treatment into schools and homes, forming a comprehensive mental health strategy.
Available virtually to students up to age 25 in school districts and university systems, the program delivers comprehensive care tailored to the student’s needs. The virtual clinic includes assistance from clinical experts, as well as care coordination with school resources to address various behavioral health concerns such as applied behavior analysis (ABA), substance use disorder (SUD), and suicide prevention.
“Similar to a school nurse, the SAP acts as a virtual mental health clinic providing support to school staff to help identify and support youth mental health needs, as well as youths’ families,” says Dr. Henderson-Smith.
With a network of 150,000 clinicians and extensive clinical experience, the Carelon SAP offers crisis consultation, behavioral health assessments, stabilization services, and up to six teletherapy sessions per student. The program partners with schools by providing practical, supportive, and cost-effective mental health support.
Multidisciplinary teams, key components of the Carelon SAP, provide care coordination and invaluable student connections. The teams are typically comprised of school and community mental health and educational staff, partnering with one another to offer students a full continuum of mental health treatment and supports. The goal is to bridge student mental health treatment gaps.
Outcomes of multidisciplinary mental health programs
Programs built on the multidisciplinary team model report positive outcomes. At a six month follow up, a Rhode Island program reported significantly fewer youth having spent a night in the hospital for mental health care in the previous 30 days (9.3% vs 27.6% at intake), and significantly fewer participants reported having visited an emergency room for a psychiatric issue (7.1% vs. 24.6% at intake).
The same program indicated that youth functioned significantly better in social situations, were less bothered by their symptoms, felt more in control of their lives, and performed significantly better in school after having participated in the multidisciplinary team approach, feeling increased optimism for their future.
The Center for Applied Research Solutions reports that multidisciplinary mental health interventions are effective and can significantly improve academic performance scores. 91% of the studies profiled in the report indicated students experiencing improved academic outcomes because of mental health treatment interventions.
The need for integrated school mental health supports
When school systems adopt the model, they have the potential to make the U.S. educational system not just a place for academic learning, but also a supportive environment promoting the mental health well-being of every student.
“Carelon’s SAP is a short-term stabilization program that allows youth to get the help they need, connecting them to longer term care if needed, so that they are in a place to achieve their greatest potential,” says Dr. Henderson-Smith.
