ID: Failure to Prioritize Mental Health Access Hurts Students During Pandemic Challenges
April 11, 2021
Reporter Sami Edge dove into the issue of mental health access for Idaho’s students in new coverage for IdahoEdNews. Edge says that though nearly 1 in 5 students suffer from mental health challenges – a number that likely skyrocketed during the pandemic – Idaho education officials and schools have not prioritized building a system that supports all students and their needs. Edge points to mental health and social-emotional learning frameworks adopted in states like North Dakota and Nevada as examples of how states are grappling with an increased mental health focus in school. She continues that many of Idaho’s public schools say they currently lack the necessary time, resources, and support from the state to drastically improve access to care for students.