鈥楢 Critical Inflection Point鈥�
May 01, 2025
How three school districts are addressing mounting mental health challenges more often with community supports
Two decades ago, Mary Claire Mucenic鈥檚 work as a school psychologist wasn鈥檛 easy, but determining eligibility for special education or other services was fairly straightforward. Now, with students鈥� lives complicated by any number of additional stressors 鈥� excessive use of phones and social media and a lack of social skills post-pandemic, along with growing mental health diagnoses 鈥� cases are far more layered and complex.
Mucenic, director of behavioral and mental health services in the School District of Palm Beach County, Fla., sees it daily in her work with students. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely taking more in terms of assessment and being creative to meet the needs of children and families,鈥� she says.
Across the country, young children and adolescents were struggling with their mental health even before the pandemic added to their isolation from peers and family upheaval that some were experiencing, according to child psychology research.
From 2013 to 2023, nearly all indicators of health and well-being worsened for high schoolers, including increases in the percentage of those with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention鈥檚 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
The rate of suicide among preteens, ages 8 to 12, has increased about 8 percent annually since 2008, according to a 2024 report from the National Institutes of Health. And a rising number of younger children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD, conditions often linked to mental health problems.
鈥淭his is something that we鈥檝e been dealing with for a very long time,鈥� says Nate von der Embse, a professor of school psychology at the University of South Florida and co-director of the School Mental Health Collaborative. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 ever been more part of the national conversation than it has at the present moment. I do think 鈥� that we鈥檙e at a critical inflection point. That it鈥檚 not something you can ignore or sweep under the rug anymore.鈥�
The growing needs of students are forcing school leaders to seek innovative solutions to help students build a foundation for a healthy, productive life. Here鈥檚 how three school districts in different regions of the country are working to address mental health in their districts.
Palm Beach County, Fla.
In 2019, Mucenic joined the 193,000-student district, the 10th largest in the country, amid a reorganization that created the department she leads. It was just over a year after a former student with a history of mental illness killed 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., less than an hour away.
In response to the shooting, state legislators approved more funding for mental health in schools. Palm Beach County voters also have approved two referenda that included money for school safety and mental health.
With the help of that funding, the district has boosted its support for mental health. All 180 schools in the district have a mental health team, which includes an administrator, school psychologist, school counselor and school behavioral health professional, a role created by the district that鈥檚 staffed by people with social work or psychology backgrounds.
Online teletherapy services are available to high school students, and through a partnership with community agencies, the school district pays for licensed therapists to be in 115 of its schools to provide mental health therapy counseling services at no cost to parents. 鈥淭his is really, really important in terms of equitable services for all kids because it reduces the barriers,鈥� Mucenic says.
Everybody stays busy. The behavioral health professionals were involved in a quarter million activities last school year. The district provided more than 28,000 individual therapy sessions during the same period. While there are no data, school officials have sensed the number of children in crisis is on the decline, Mucenic says.
An ongoing commitment to mental health is firmly embedded in the district鈥檚 current strategic plan, which Mucenic says plays a key role in ensuring continued robust support. One plan initiative is implementing a districtwide system to ensure every student has a positive relationship with at least one adult at school.
The work, she says, often is stressful and taxing, especially as they support students in crisis. 鈥淏ut I love what I do,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 really do feel like we鈥檙e making an impact.鈥�
Medway, Mass.
When he joined Medway Public Schools in Medway, Mass., as director of wellness nine years ago, Ryan Sherman quickly began building partnerships to help students access the mental health support they needed. Today, the 2,500-student suburban district about an hour southwest of Boston is collaborating with a variety of providers.
Care Solace, a mental health care coordination service for school districts, works with students, families and staff to find available mental health providers that take their insurance. Cartwheel Care, a mental health partner for schools, provides teletherapy for students.
The school district also brings community mental health clinicians into the schools. 鈥淲e give them the space, and then they see students just like they would in their office, but it鈥檚 able to be done in the school day,鈥� Sherman says.
Mental health and behavior issues often aren鈥檛 experienced in isolation but in combination with other family needs and challenges. So Sherman also has strengthened Medway鈥檚 wraparound services, providing assistance in school and out of school to connect families with different kinds of support.
And the district is testing something entirely new: Hypothetical AI, an artificial intelligence assistant for school counselors. With the school counselor and AI assistant, those in 7th grade and up set goals for the week, using self-regulation skills when feeling anxious. Throughout the week, the AI bot checks in with the student to see how they are doing.
The school counselor monitors every interaction and jumps in as needed, Sherman says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really helped expand his bandwidth and the amount of students he can connect with.鈥�
Clinical outcomes are strong, Sherman says. New data from the school district show less absenteeism and better grades for high school students participating in the district鈥檚 wraparound or telehealth programs. Among students receiving wraparound services, average absences dropped from 8.5 days at the time of their first appointment to 3.8 days for the second semester after their first appointment. For those same students, their average grade rose from 65 to 77.
Now Sherman is trying to understand how the services have impacted the district鈥檚 bottom line. When Medway can鈥檛 support a student鈥檚 mental health needs, it places a student in another district at an annual cost of about $150,000.
鈥淓ven if we just save one student a year from going out of the district, it鈥檚 paid for itself,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd I think we鈥檝e probably far exceeded that over the years.鈥�
Olentangy, Ohio
Allisha Berendts joined Ohio鈥檚 Olentangy School District nine years ago just as schools began focusing more attention on mental health in schools. With a background as a mental health clinician, Berendts slowly has helped build up the department she now leads. As director of student well-being for the suburban district of 23,600 students, she focuses on the non-academic barriers for students, including mental and physical health, safety and security.
When Berendts started, the district had three social workers who provided mental health services and full crisis assessments. She began adding more social workers, paid by the general fund staffing budget, and partnered with the local mental health board and a mental health agency to provide clinicians in the schools. Other funding has come through the state, along with some limited support from the mental health board.
鈥淓very time we added more people, the kids were there, caseloads were full pretty much right off the bat,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was an 鈥榠f you build it, they will come鈥� kind of a thing.鈥�
To strengthen its support for its students, Olentangy in 2023 became the first school district in Ohio to hold a certification as a behavioral health provider under the Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services Board (see related story, right). With the certification, the district qualifies for expanded funding. It鈥檚 now seeking national certification.
Today, the school鈥檚 mental health staffing is strong. Each high school has a full-time school social worker and mental health specialist. Middle schools have a full-time school social worker and a mental health specialist on site twice a week. And elementary schools have either a social worker or mental health specialist on site daily.
Olentangy also offers OASIS, a half-day alternative program for students who are struggling in a large high school setting because of mental or physical health concerns. Mental health services are embedded into the school day, she says.
Berendts鈥� staff stays busy. More than 900 students are receiving tier two or tier three services, she says. And there鈥檚 always more to do.
Berendts, however, saw the full scope of her department鈥檚 impact as she read feedback from a satisfaction survey. Parents shared they didn鈥檛 think their child would have survived without the services in place. And high school seniors wrote how much their social worker or mental health clinician positively affected their lives.
鈥淚 absolutely feel like we鈥檙e making a difference with students,鈥� she says.
鈥業n-between鈥� Stories
Sherman knows he鈥檚 making a difference too. He thinks of the student, once school avoidant, who worked through his anxieties with a school social worker and now is excelling in a sport he really wanted to play.
鈥淚f he was in a different district, he would have ended up in online school and playing video games in his house and being really comfortable with his anxiety, not developing into an adult male in the way that all of us need to,鈥� Sherman says. 鈥淪o these are the in-between stories that feel really good. They鈥檙e the ones that never become stories, which I鈥檓 probably most proud of.鈥�
Not every district has access to state and local funding to bolster its mental health offerings or leadership or community will to put resources behind it. Berendts, Sherman and Mucenic have all sought support from off-campus partners. To school leaders desperate to do more to support kids, they recommend looking to community resources for help.
鈥淭his is really a community issue,鈥� Mucenic says. 鈥淭o someone who doesn鈥檛 necessarily have the budget within the schools 鈥� engage the community to assist.鈥�
For districts without the funds to hire more mental health staff or invest in other options, school districts can make small adjustments that make a difference for students, says Katie Rosanbalm, an associate research professor at Duke University鈥檚 Center for Child and Family Policy.
She鈥檚 seen schools create special time blocks during the school day for students to connect with teachers for advising, mentoring or academic support. 鈥淚t gives the teachers a way to connect with students in a different environment and in a friendlier way,鈥� she says.
Morning meetings where students practice a breathing technique or share their favorite ice cream flavor can flag students who may need some extra support, Rosanbalm says. 鈥淚t gives the teacher a chance to notice kids that are having a rough morning.鈥� Additional strategies include assigning individual adult mentors to students for daily check-ins and creating 鈥渃alm corners鈥� in classrooms to help students self-regulate.
Of course, none of these are quick fixes. Tackling mental health in schools requires sustained effort and broader community engagement. If efforts begin to plateau, Rosanbalm recommends asking what staff, students and families need to thrive, whether a food pantry, job application support for parents or another resource, she says. 鈥淏uilding more community around the school is really important.鈥�
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall is a freelance writer in Raleigh, N.C.
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By Deanna Ashby
Educators are continually learning that student voice is a critical factor in mitigating issues that affect the mental health and well-being of students in schools across the country.
School districts prioritize student voice through feedback using student advocacy focus groups, surveys, counseling sessions and classroom wellness curricula, enabling students to take an active role in improving wellness for themselves and their classmates.
Candace Pelt-Perez, former superintendent of Central Linn School District in Oregon, surveyed students and used feedback to amplify student voice in decisions concerning safety and well-being. The 20-question student survey, with its anonymous link, served as a mechanism for understanding their needs and informing leadership of the actions needed for improvement. By conducting annual surveys, the district could track changes over time, allowing for continuous monitoring.
Pelt-Perez, who now works for the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, notes, 鈥淭wo areas that were really surprising 鈥� our lowest scores were students didn鈥檛 always feel safe on buses, and our students didn鈥檛 have healthy meal choices.鈥�
The student survey data showed younger students did not feel safe on buses with older students. Here, student voice impacted well-being and solved a major safety issue. By busing only elementary students together, students gained a new sense of safety.
According to Pelt-Perez鈥檚 district survey, over a third of students felt meal choices were unhealthy, prompting the food service staff to offer a greater variety of fruits and vegetables. Students and staff were excited because they felt their feedback mattered. Pelt-Perez adds: 鈥淭he big lesson we鈥檝e learned in this is starting small matters and creating some actionable steps where people feel they can get momentum and traction. We started to work on involving students in a variety of places 鈥� and leaning in.鈥�
These small steps enabled students in her school system to serve on committees and panels, some of which made recommendations on budgetary decisions.
Actionable Feedback
In Brandenburg, Ky., Mark Martin, superintendent of 5,000-student Meade County Public Schools, seeks student feedback by conducting quarterly Student Advisory Council sessions. These empower student voice in focus groups that take place five times per year at the district鈥檚 college and career center.
鈥淎s superintendent, my No. 1 goal is positive relationships with students,鈥� Martin says. 鈥淥ur students, whether it鈥檚 getting on the bus in the morning or during the school day, need to know that our teammates love and care about their well-being.鈥�
In Meade County, students voiced concerns about bathroom safety and addiction to vaping. The district increased staff supervision in bathrooms and installed vape detectors. While this was a start, the students wanted a solution to the addiction rather than punishment. Students asked, 鈥淲hat can we do to help other kids?鈥� Martin says.
Because the punishment did not correct the underlying issue, the district used student voice to revamp the treatment program, offering a tiered system of counseling for addiction. Students who agreed to participate in the program received fewer days of alternative school because other students used their voices to create positive change.
Student experience surveys had indicated a low sense of belonging for many students in Meade County. 鈥淲e want our kids tethered to the school outside of the school day by strengthening the connections to co- and extracurricular activities and athletic opportunities by creating structures, providing opportunities and monitoring involvement from intermediate grades up,鈥� Martin says.
Finally, there has been a rebranding of the role of counselors in Meade County Schools. Counselors meet monthly to vertically align strategies that address the mental health needs of students and provide support for at-risk students in classroom settings.
When students seek opportunities to be heard, the actions of school and district leaders prove that even one small voice is valued. CheyAnne Fant, director of nutrition services in Barren County, Ky., and recipient of AASA鈥檚 2023 Women in School Leadership Award, perhaps says it best: 鈥淲hen it comes to prioritizing student health and prioritizing their voice in the process, you cannot wait to make changes when student experience is on the line.鈥�
Deanna Ashby, a retired superintendent, is senior director of coaching with Studer Education in Hanson, Ky.
By Tony J. Walker and Jennifer E. Reed
The need for robust mental health systems in schools has never been more urgent.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 12- to 24-year-olds, and rates are increasing among younger children. In addition, 40 percent of young people 12-17 years of age with a history of a major depressive episode over the past year did not receive any treatment, according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Because children and teens spend a significant portion of their lives in school, it can be a stable place for prevention, intervention, education and ongoing support of mental health needs. Prioritizing student mental health not only supports the school community but also enhances learning readiness, school engagement and academic success for all students.
District-level support is paramount for this effort.
Successful Pilot
The JED and 萝莉网District Mental Health Initiative addresses the issue head-on by leveraging a comprehensive approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention for school districts, an evidence-based framework focused on building stronger and more supportive school mental health systems. Modeled on the proven JED Campus program and following a successful pilot phase in 15 school districts, the DMHI aims to transform youth mental health programs and suicide prevention. This innovative, customizable two-year technical-assistance program is open to school districts nationwide.
The Chandler Unified School District in Arizona and Scarsdale Public Schools in New York are two districts implementing the initiative. Through a data-driven analysis of their systems 鈥� including school climate, needs, policies, programs and practices 鈥� district leaders can gauge their students鈥� mental health needs and the district鈥檚 capabilities to meet them. With guidance from an expert-led JED team, districts develop and implement a comprehensive, customized strategic action plan to achieve a systemic impact on student mental health.
As implementation continues, the Chandler district will focus on its commitment to increase community awareness around suicide prevention. The JED and 萝莉网partnership empowers the district to take a data-informed approach to enhance current strategies, target areas of opportunity and strengthen the community鈥檚 engagement in promoting mental health.
Chandler superintendent Franklin Narducci elaborates, 鈥淭his [approach] promotes caring relationships and tailored approaches for different students and contexts that enhance whole-child development. It also minimizes future trauma, supports families and builds an infrastructure of health.鈥�
In Scarsdale Public Schools, the JED and 萝莉网initiative creates an inclusive and supportive environment for all students while ensuring parents are part of this process.
Drew Patrick, Scarsdale鈥檚 superintendent, says, 鈥淲e can help students and their caregivers know how to access the support they need to be successful and achieve the sense of belonging and well-being they need to thrive.鈥�
An important component of the district鈥檚 work is the Youth Services Project, a collaboration with the community-based Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service. In addition to providing youth outreach workers who serve students in schools, YSP clinicians facilitate monthly grade-specific parent support groups. The meetings focus on the challenges of raising and supporting youth in a rapidly changing world while addressing social media use, substance misuse and other issues in adolescent development.
Getting Started
Building and maintaining comprehensive school mental health systems are complex endeavors. Our systemic approach includes educating families about available resources, encouraging help-seeking behaviors, developing pathways for students to get help, and improving access to evidenced-based mental health services.
We encourage you to join our September cohort (www.aasa.org/dmhi). School districts participating in the JED and 萝莉网District Mental Health Initiative are making strides in fortifying their school mental health systems and creating communities of care where all students grow, learn and thrive.
Tony Walker is senior vice president of school programs and consulting at The Jed Foundation in New York, N.Y. Jennifer Reed is senior director of district programs at The Jed Foundation.
By Allisha Berendts
As the Olentangy Schools near Columbus, Ohio, confronted the rising challenge of mental health problems among students and its impact on their learning, the district took a distinctive tack.
In 2015, district leadership launched an initiative to address these challenges. I was appointed to a newly created district-level administrative role to coordinate resources and services for student well-being. My experience as a clinical and school counselor allows me to look beyond the typical ways schools have addressed mental health, positioning Olentangy as an innovator.
With 24,000 students, we鈥檙e the state鈥檚 fourth-largest school system, located in Ohio鈥檚 fastest-growing county. What began as a rural area is now a bustling suburban community.
Gaining State Status
When I came onboard, Olentangy鈥檚 approach mirrored that of many other districts, relying on school counselors, psychologists and a few social workers to support students in need. To build the needed services in school buildings, we contracted with community agencies or referred families to external providers for more intensive care.
But logistical challenges 鈥� transportation, cost and scheduling conflicts 鈥� often hindered the effectiveness of these services and sometimes threw up additional barriers. Additionally, a shortage of local providers made it difficult to connect students with timely support.
I explored ways for Olentangy to offer these services in our schools to meet students鈥� needs in a more effective and efficient way.
To receive the necessary funding, Ohio law requires recipients of behavioral health funding to be certified behavioral health providers through the Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services. No school districts held that certification, primarily due to the challenging process and no one had thought to try. I did not see why Olentangy Schools could not operate the same as external providers, so I began the process of obtaining certification with the hope of gaining access to state funding to support our program.
A consulting firm specializing in behavioral health accreditation provided necessary guidance. The certification process involved creating a policy manual aligned with state regulations, ensuring therapeutic spaces were safe, hiring licensed staff and maintaining compliance with documentation standards. I engaged all areas of our school district to gather occupancy permits, fire, boiler and elevator inspection reports.
We implemented a standardized electronic medical record system that complied with all the requirements, compiled our own employee files that housed additional materials beyond our human resources department鈥檚 materials and provided proof our clinical records were in accordance with state code.
Seamless Integration
We submitted our application to provide four services: community psychiatric supportive treatment, prevention, crisis intervention and general treatment. Following a successful site visit from the state agency to review the documentation, Olentangy Schools became Ohio鈥檚 first school district certified as a behavioral health provider in July 2023.
These certifications, plus state oversight, ensure that Olentangy鈥檚 program abides by the same regulations as an external provider while assuring our community that only licensed staff provide mental health services to students after receiving parental consent. Similar to how school districts are overseen by the state鈥檚 department of education to ensure students are taught by licensed teachers and taught certified curriculum, this requirement lends legitimacy to our mental health program.
Although the services provided are only available to students, oftentimes teachers and other staff members will consult with our mental health team, for supporting students or sometimes to discuss personal matters. As we鈥檝e grown the team, there are always more students who need support. We differentiate the types of services into two categories: prevention or intervention (i.e., treatment). On average, the clinicians are serving anywhere from 30 high-needs students under treatment across three buildings to 85-plus through prevention services. The clinicians are also running groups and managing crises on a regular basis.
By hiring in-house mental health clinicians, the district ensures that services are seamlessly integrated into its operations, with staff following school district policies and receiving direct oversight. Funds previously allocated to external agencies offset internal staffing costs. Additionally, the door has opened for new state and national grants, extending our capacity to expand services.
State certification of mental health service delivery has profoundly benefited Olentangy Schools, and the district now is pursuing national accreditation through the Council on Accreditation, a step mandated for Ohio behavioral health providers. This certification will further validate the district鈥檚 services, unlock additional funding opportunities and position our district to broaden its mental health offerings.
While there is no one-size-fits-all model, Olentangy has become a recognized leader in Ohio, creating conditions that address non-academic barriers to learning.
Allisha Berendts is director of student well-being with Olentangy Schools in Lewis Center, Ohio.
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