Below are the highlights of the written feedback Families as Allies submitted to the K-12 Mental Health Task Force in conjunction with Executive Director Joy Hogge’s verbal feedback in the meeting.
- We thank Senator Nicole Boyd for the legislation that enabled this committee and Senator David Parker, Representative Rob Roberson and Representative Sam Creekmore for co-chairing the group and facilitating our meetings. We also appreciate the staff from PEER for making this work possible. This has been a helpful and informative experience.
- The purpose of school is for children to learn. Students need to be in their classrooms with their peers in order to learn so interventions that do those two things should be exhausted before removing children from the classroom. Data should be tracked on mental health interventions, and it should include both behavioral and academic outcomes.
- All schools in Mississippi are already mandated to implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (commonly referred to as the Tier Process) for both academics and behavior. A well implemented Tier process for behavior would address, or begin to address, many of the issues this task force has raised – positive school climate, universal screening, classroom support, social emotional learning, suicide prevention, etc. We do not need to impose other processes to do these things. We need to ensure the issues raised by school counselors (that they are asked to do other unrelated tasks, work force shortage, etc) are addressed, perhaps via guidance and monitoring through MDE that is then required to be reported to the legislature, so that school counselors can fully implement the Tier process for behavior. We then need to hold them and their school leadership accountable for that, perhaps by reporting data to PEER about number of children better maintained in classroom as a result.
- The requirements for licensure for school counselors are robust and stringent compared to other public sector mental health positions. We encourage the committee to be cautious about proscribing specific approaches for counselors to use (other than holding counselors accountable for Tier process for behavior and other school activities related to mental health) and instead defer to their professional judgment.
- Universal screening is a good idea, but it should only be done with guardian consent. It also raises a potential conflict of interest if an outside service provider conducts it and could potentially refer to themselves (and thus get paid) when services are indicated. Screening that goes through school counselors doesn’t pose a conflict of interest and allows a parent to talk to someone they already likely know if they have questions.
- We need data from school counselors and school and district leadership about strengths and weaknesses of current outside mental health supports, keeping in mind that some districts may be getting services from a place other than CMHCs. We also need to know if there are services they would like that are not available or if they would like any of the current services to be delivered differently. Choice should not be limited for districts of families – we need to ensure that MOUs do not limit choice.
- Families as Allies’ data from families indicate that they want school-based services to focus on helping their children do well in school. Families especially appreciate the care coordination from the mental health system and want care coordinators to be involved in IEP planning.
- Outside mental health providers need support to understand the culture of schools, especially the TIER process and special education, and to make sure what they do coordinates with both. This is a good resource for understanding Tier and how to fit into schools holistically: https://mhttcnetwork.org/national-school-mental-health-curriculum-and-related/. Families as Allies and other organizations are resources for training to understand special education advocacy. Coordination between CMHC association and counselor association would be good.
- The issue of risk assessments is huge and appears to be one where civil rights of students are potentially violated. We recommend that any organizations on the task force who want to be included in the committee about risk assessments that Dr. Evans mentioned be added. Families as Allies certainly wants to help address this issue.
- We recommend reviewing the mental health service MOU process and content after other changes have been implemented and evaluated. Families as Allies has concerns about possible over-reliance on day treatment and other approaches that segregate children from their peers and do not appear related to academic performance.
- The system of care structures and committees already in state law could support these and many other efforts. They need to have a better coordinating structure. We will submit separate recommendations related to that.
- UMMC’s Champ Program can support all of these recommendations through provider and school consultations and training in screenings
