Mental Health In Schools
My Belief
Better mental health support is necessary for schools. I have a friend that was struggling with depression, and their parents wanted to get them help. The school had a counselor on hand, but that did not work for this person. They needed a better support system, with someone they knew would not talk to their parents about the sessions. They also did not want to be seen going into the counselor’s office at the school during the day. Since the current school system for mental health was not working, their parents had to look into outside help. I firmly believe that, if we had a stronger support system in schools, more students would get the help they needed. A better system should be a priority because the current system is not doing the good that it was created for.
How Schools Can Change
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Enforce doctor-patient confidentiality: students trust in the mental health professional they are going to see, and don't want their parents to hear about every session.
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Have more staff on hand: one counselor often is not enough for schools. The number of counselors on hand should be relative to the number of students in the school.
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Counseling sessions should be private: in addition to a closed-off space, students should be able to meet with a counsler away from the busy hallways during passing periods.
