The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 20 percent of school-age children and adolescents have a serious debilitating mental illness. That equates to approximately 48,000 children in Collin County last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.


State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, was part of that statistic: he was hospitalized for depression when he was about 16 years old.


The politician has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder—a mental illness that carried on into his adult years. But Coleman said early intervention helped him learn how to handle his illnesses.


“I didn’t understand things in high school the way I do now, which is why I know it’s difficult for a teenager who’s having a hard time anyway to grasp what’s going on,” he said.


Although NIMH estimates 20 percent of the youth population has a mental illness, it estimates that only 5 percent of the adult population has a mental illness. LifePath System Program Administrator Carrie Crutcher said this might be because of early intervention when the children are young, which equips them to manage mental illness as adults, which is why early prevention programs are needed.


“If you didn’t catch it early, now you’re going to have 20-25 percent of your adults—your workforce out there—who can’t work,” she said.


Organizations such as LifePath Systems—a nonprofit organization that will soon be Collin County’s authority on mental health—look to address childhood mental health issues on the local level. LifePath Systems will take over as the mental health authority in 2017, handling state funding and creating policies for mental health services. It will replace Collin County’s former mental health provider NorthSTAR, a state Medicaid behavioral health program that will be being phased out.


On the state level, many state legislators have pushed for laws requiring training for school districts on recognizing signs of mental health issues, Coleman said. The 2015 Texas legislative session saw the passage of more bills, including Senate Bill 674 and HB 2186, which require new educators to undergo suicide prevention training.


“The earlier you can intervene, the more successful you’re going to be and the more impact you’re going to have,” LifePath Systems CEO Randy Routon said.



Plano November 2015


 

School district training


Based on the NIMH statistics, potentially four students out of a class of 20 could have a mental illness, said Crutcher, who also used to be a teacher. Without training, teachers may not know if their students need help.


“I [could] have four kids who I have to spend extra time with,” Crutcher said. “Do I even know what to look for? As a teacher, that’s really kind of scary that that many in one classroom has a special need.”


Following the 2011 Texas legislative session, the state required school district employees to undergo mental health intervention training as described in HB 1386 written by Coleman.


Plano ISD trains staff members on all campuses once every year in recognizing signs if a student might be at risk of harming themselves or anyone who might be experiencing bullying or abuse, said Lesley Range-Stanton, communications executive director for PISD.


The district informs staff and students about common signs seen in students at risk for suicide or those who might be experiencing difficulty.


The Plano ISD Family Education and Guidance Services Department provides training to parents on strategies to help their children cope with stress and difficult environments.


PISD also offers student support programs, such as counseling, personal safety, substance abuse prevention, and student health services, which contribute to creating a safe environment for students to learn and develop personally and socially, according to the district’s website.


Building strong relationships between counselors and students is a priority for PISD when it comes to helping those with mental illness, said Mark Allen, executive director for the Student and Family Services Department.


Anxiety and stress are some of the major issues school counselors observe among Plano students, Allen said. Many students find it difficult to balance school with their personal life.


“The issue that we continue to work on with kids is how to best deal with stress when pressure is coming from different angles,” he said. “The key is how can we help kids build and manage and work through those things and not overstress—but maintain healthy amounts of stress.”


Allen said counselors recommend external resources to students that might help them and their families address and overcome mental illness.


“If a child is hungry, he is not going to be able to learn,” he said. “If a child is in emotional distress, they are not going to learn.”


The school district also presents anti-victimization and safety programs to all elementary school students about avoiding or coping with victimization and understanding rules about bullying and teasing. Counselors often deliver presentations at all school levels about peer pressure, anger control and personal safety rules.



Addressing mental illness stigma


Students should consider counselors as a resource, not just for their graduation plans and class schedules, but also for their personal, social and mental well-being, Allen said. Parents with children in PISD can also contact school counselors to discuss any changes or concerns they might have about their son or daughter.


Based on NIMH statistics, as many as four students out of a class of 20 could have a mental illness, said Crutcher, who also used to be a teacher. Without training, teachers may not know if their students need help.


The symptoms can also change as a child gets older. Elementary school-age children, for example, may wet the bed if they are anxious, Crutcher said, but teenagers in high school may turn to substance abuse.


The state laws regarding mental health training in schools are, in part, designed to help overcome the mental illness stigma, Coleman said. The stigma can prevent children from seeking help.


“If a cancer is not treated it gets worse; it’s the same for mental illness,” Coleman said. “If a person doesn’t know how to manage their illness at an early age and doesn’t have support, then the future is very, very bleak.”