A shortage of mental health practitioners means many children are unable to get treatment or have to endure long wait times. A state telemedicine program is allowing Texas children to see therapists at school.
Elise Harris, a counselor at Live Oak Elementary School in the Round Rock Independent School District, sets up a laptop used to provide telemedicine services in her office.
“Prevention education is really the biggest part of what we do," she said."As a school counselor the emphasis is teaching children how to identify and manage their feelings." In 2019, Texas lawmakers were presented overwhelming statistics that pointed to a mental health crisis among children coupled with a difficulty in accessing care. As a result, the Texas Child Mental Health Consortium was created. The consortium is made up of medical schools and universities with health programs as well other experts in the mental health field.
School counselors are trained to coordinate appointments. Their first step is to get approval from parents before making a referral to the health institution. Parents join most appointments, even if just for a short time. Mani said the most common reasons for referral are depression and anxiety. But, she clarified, the reason for the referral may be different than the diagnosis, or the outcome of the evaluation.
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