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The Ohio group said the data shows “alarming” trends in youth mental health, but also that there is optimism about school and community collaboration to address students’ behavioral health.
The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Service Providers, an organization representing 165 private organizations that provide “community-based prevention, substance use, mental health, and family services” in the state, looked at data going back to 2017 to track collaborations between Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) and Ohio schools. They found that school-based behavioral health services have increased by more than 223% since then.
The council noted that 3,610 schools, including public and private schools, educational service centers and charter schools, provide “critical screening, prevention, treatment and crisis intervention services” through CBHCs.
“In the last year alone, school-CBHC partnerships increased by 21.8 percent, one of the largest expansions in school-CBHC partnerships since this data tracking began,” the study found.
Of these, 87.5% provide clinical or treatment services, 88.5% provide preventive services, and 60% engage in crisis intervention services.
The researchers found that nearly all CBHCs (97.5%) collaborated with schools in areas such as “school planning teams” and curriculum development.
“Incorporating comprehensive mental health services, such as crisis intervention and counseling, into schools through school-based partnerships removes barriers and ensures students receive behavioral health services when they need them,” the study states. “And it significantly improves students’ mental and behavioral health outcomes, including reduced absenteeism, improved academic achievement, and improved social-emotional skills.”
While CBHC progress was deemed significant in the survey, researchers also reported struggling with staffing school-based programs, with 1 in 3 schools/CBHCs reporting “challenges have worsened” over the past year. Full-time school-based behavioral health staff vacancies increased by more than 11% compared to the 2022-2023 school year. “High student need/long wait lists” are among the biggest barriers to services, along with staff shortages.
The new data comes on the heels of a report from the Ohio Health Policy Institute, which ranked Ohio 44th out of 50 states for population health and health care spending, and found that youth mental health is a problem in Ohio, especially among LGBTQ+ youth. The institute found that suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth in Ohio are 4.8 times higher than heterosexual/cisgender kids, and suicide attempts are 4.3 times higher for that group.
The state is also studying the root causes of mental illness, substance use disorders, and suicide. Governor Mike DeWine announced in January that the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services would provide a $20 million grant to support research led by Ohio State University, with other universities and hospitals across the state participating.
The study aims to “elucidate what we don’t know about the underlying causes, risks and preventative factors of mental illness,” Dr. Luan Phan, chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral health at Oregon State University’s School of Medicine, said at the time the study was released.
The latest study by the Council of Behavioral Health and Family Service Providers further tasked policymakers in states, particularly Ohio, to expand school-based services by filling funding gaps in the areas of prevention, consultation and treatment services, guide schools on “funding strategies to expand and strengthen community partnerships,” as well as bring solutions to behavioral health workforce shortages and increase access to “screening and early intervention for mental health issues and at-risk populations.”
Ohio Capital Journal is part of the States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public benefit organization. Ohio Capital Journal maintains editorial independence. If you have questions, please contact Editor David Dewitt at info@ohiocapitaljournal.com. Follow Ohio Capital Journal on Facebook and X.
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