The state recently changed the label of that classification from “emotional disturbance” to reduce the stigma of the classification, which overwhelmingly is assigned to boys of color. Receiving temporary, at-risk services could be a first step while a family begins the evaluation process for an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, mandating services, such as counseling.Ĭhildren with anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges could be eligible for an IEP under the “emotional disability” classification. But Sicherman isn’t sure the process would have been as easy a few months later, after her school received nearly 60 children, largely from asylum-seeking families who experienced some form of trauma. Often it can come down to whether a counselor or social worker has openings - and many have been working through their lunch periods to meet the increased demand, educators said.įourth grade teacher Miriam Sicherman, at the Manhattan’s Children’s Workshop School, was able to get counseling earlier this school year for one of her students who witnessed neighborhood violence. “The process can look very different for different students, and can require significant time, individual attention, and resources, and the fair student funding formula doesn’t take this into account,” said Kaiser. So getting services can feel like an uphill battle, parents say. Schools, though, don’t get extra funding for at-risk students, and they triage based on need. In such cases, a school might deem a child “at risk” and provide short-term counseling as part of a process called “response to intervention,” or RTI. School staff may also flag children with significant emotional needs - just as when children have academic needs - but it can take time. Every school has a counseling plan with contact information on its education department homepage under the “reports” tab. Parents can also reach out to a counselor or social worker at the school, an assistant principal or principal, or the parent coordinator. Start with the people who know your child best, whether that’s a classroom teacher or other trusted adult in the school. If you’re looking for school-based counseling, where do you begin? Here’s what to know about getting your child school-based mental health support. “We’re really looking for resources and support,” said Rasheedah Brown-Harris, a leader with the Bronx’s New Settlement Apartments Parent Action Committee whose Healing-Centered Schools Working Group is pushing for school-wide trauma-informed approaches. Crippling anxiety leading to school refusal - when kids have an extreme aversion to attending class - seems to be on the upswing, parents say. Chronic absenteeism, when students miss at least 10% of school, remains much higher than pre-pandemic levels. These challenges affect what happens in the classroom - and whether kids show up at all. On top of that, thousands of children from asylum-seeking families are arriving at city schools with significant needs. The threat of gun violence, climate change, racism, and poverty weigh heavily on many kids. Many young people are still reeling from prolonged isolation and lost schooling. More than 1 in 200 New York City children lost a caregiver to COVID, an analysis from the COVID Collaborative found. That picture seems consistent throughout New York City. “It’s a crisis,” said Brittany Kaiser, an art teacher at Manhattan’s Earth School, who says she and her colleagues need more support as they’ve noticed their pre-K through fifth-graders’ behavioral issues worsening. One in five New York City children ages 3 to 13 had one or more mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral problems in 2021, according to unpublished data from a city health department survey. All of New York City’s roughly 1,600 public schools, at a minimum, have access to a social worker or school-based mental health clinic, officials say, and the city will soon offer teletherapy for high school students.īut many families say getting services can be a battle, especially as mental health needs mount.
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