OPINION: Mental Health America ranks California 33rd for children’s mental health. Many factors contribute to this failing ranking, but near the top of the list is a critical shortage of mental health professionals for California’s kids.
Jael Hernandez, right, a single mother of three children, with her eldest, Jizelle, left, near their home in Oakland, Calif. The pressure of working two jobs remotely, on top of helping with her children’s online learning, has left Hernandez with little time to handle their emotional needs. If you want to understand the seriousness of the crisis facing California’s kids, just ask the team running Fresno County’s “All 4 Youth” mental health program.
California’s underserved populations and rural areas are suffering the most, with severely limited access to help in places like the Central Valley and rural Northern California. There are no hospital psychiatric beds for children in 42 of California’s 58 counties and zero beds north of Sacramento.That’s why innovative approaches are critical.
In Stanislaus County, educators have embraced technology to address student mental health needs. Called “The Lifeguard Initiative,” the voluntary program gives students an opportunity to identify core values and create growth goals. Students check in daily using a website or phone app to gauge their well-being. Feeling great? Tap the happy emoji. Less than great? Sad emoji. The data helps teachers get a better sense of how students feel on any given day.
We should celebrate these schools rising to the challenge, but the state’s shortage of behavioral health workers must be addressed. Today, 31 counties with a high need for mental health services report a shortage. This year, the Steinberg Institute is sponsoring legislation — Senate Bill 964, introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco — taking on the workforce shortage with innovative ideas and a holistic approach.
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