>> SENATE MAJORITY LEADER, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
>> THANK YOU. >> IN EDUCATION, A CRITICAL
SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL THERAPISTS IS PLAGUING DISTRICTS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AS MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FOR STUDENTS SURGE.
SEEING THE NEED, EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS IN WISCONSIN ARE
FINDING WAYS TO BRIDGE THE GAP. STEVEN POTTER HAS MORE.
>> I THINK EVERY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
MORE MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS. >> DESPITE H AVING A HANDFUL OF
PSYCHOLOGIST, A PSYCHOLOGIST AND SOCIAL WORKER ON STAFF, ANDY
FARLEY, PRINCIPAL OF BROOKFIELD EAST HIGH SCHOOL, SAYS THEY
STILL HAVE TROUBLE MEETING THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF THEIR
1,400 STUDENTS. >> IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE
ENOUGH. >> FARLEY KNOWS FIRSTHAND HOW
DEVASTATING STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS CAN BECOME.
A FEW YEARS BACK, A NUMBER OF STUDENTS AT BROOKFIELD EAST HIGH
SCHOOL DIED FROM SUICIDE. >> INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.
INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AT OUR SCHOOL LEVEL, INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT AT OUR COMMUNITY LEVEL.
WE ALL KNEW WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING. >> Reporter: THEY
CREATED A LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL
STUDENT LED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT NETWORK CALLED THE HOPE
SQUAD. >> DOES ANYONE WANT TO SHARE
ABOUT SOME OF THE POSITIVES? >> Reporter: ON A WEEKLY
BASIS, THESE SCHOOL'S 60 STUDENT MEMBERS DISCUSS NEW STRATEGIES
TO HELP THEIR CLASSMATES STAY MENTALLY HEALTHY, FROM THE
IMPORTANCE OF GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP AND SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
LEARNING TECHNIQUES TO RECOGNIZING SUICIDE WARNING
SIGNS. BROOKFIELD EAST SOPHOMORE, LEDRA
ASHENBRENNER, IS A HOPE SQUAD MEMBER. >> FROM A STUDENT ST
ANDPOINT, WE ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF THE
SCHOOL. WE BRIDGE THE GAP BE TWEEN
STUDENTS AND CI COUNCILORS AND STUDENTS AND TEACHERS BECAUSE
RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GO TO THEIR
PEERS IF THEE HAVING AN ISSUE THAT THEY NEED HELP WITH.
>> 20% OF KIDS HAVE SOME TYPE OF BEHAVIORAL OR SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
CONCERN. >> Reporter: KATIE EKLUND IS A
PROFESSOR OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY AT UW-MADISON.
>> OUT OF THAT GROUP, ONLY 20% OF THOSE KIDS ACTUALLY RECEIVE
THAT SUPPORT. >> Reporter: SHE WORKS TO FIND
SOLUTIONS TO THE INCREASING RATES OF YOUNG CHILDREN
SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, INCLUDING THOSE
HARMING THEMSELVES OR CONSIDERING SUICIDE.
>> WE SEE OFTEN BY THE TIME KIDS GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, WE SEE KIDS
NOT COMING TO SCHOOL, WE SEE LOWER GRADES, WE SEE HIGHER
INCIDENTS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND JUST LOWER,
POOR PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES THROUGHOUT LIFE. >> Reporter:
EKLUND SAYS THAT CHILDREN AREN'T GETTING THE HELP
THEY NEED BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS,
SUCH AS THERAPISTS, COUNSELORS AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS.
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, 7% OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAY MORE SCHOOLS
ARE SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BUT 87% OF THOSE
SCHOOLS SAY THEY CAN'T PROVIDE SUCH SERVICE TO ALL OF THE
STUDENTS IN NEED. EKLUND AND HER COLLEAGUES,
HOWEVER, HAVE A PLAN AND NEW RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THIS
SHORTAGE WITH A $10 MILLION GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION. >> IT'S DESIGNED TO DECREASE THE
PIPELINE OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS
WHO ARE WORKING IN K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
>> SHE SAYS THE NEED SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. >> IN 2018, WE HAD 6
0 TO 70 UNFILLED POSITIONS ACROSS THE
STATE OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS. WE ANTICIPATE THAT COUNSELORS
ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR SHOARNLINGS, BOTH HERE IN THE
STATE AND IN THE COUNTRY AND THAT THOSE SHORTAGES HAVE ONLY
INCREASED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
>> WHILE EVERYONE FROM SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO THE STUDENTS
THEMSELVES AGREE THAT MORE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE
NEEDED IN SCHOOLS, THEY WOULD STILL NEED TO BE PAID, AND
THAT'S WHERE THE STATE LEGISLATURE CAN COME IN.
DEMOCRATIC STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROBYN VINING HAS INTRODUCED A
PACKAGE OF BILLS AIMED AT INCREASING IF YOU C FUNDING FORH
12. >> WE KNOW THERE'S A MENTAL
HEALTHCARE CRISIS. WE KNOW THAT.
AND SO WE CANNOT LOOK AWAY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE CAN MOVE
FORWARD RIGHT NOW WITHOUT ACTING ON MENTAL HEALTHCARE.
>> Reporter: ONE OF THE BILLS WOULD INCREASE SPENDING ON
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN THE STATE'S SCHOOL SYSTEM BY $100
MILLION PER YEAR. >> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN
WHO ARE EXPERIENCING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, SUICIDALLITY, AND
WE'RE TRYING TO GET PROFESSIONALS TO BE AVAILABLE TO
WORK WITH THEM, TO HELP THEM SURVIVE THIS VERY DIFFICULT
STAGE OF LIFE. >> Reporter: AND SO, AT THE
LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL, WISCONSIN IS WORKING TO RESPOND
TO THE GROWING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF ITS YOUNGEST
POPULATIONS. REPORTING FOR HERE AND NOW, FROM
BROOKFIELD, I'M STEVEN POTTER. >> IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW
NEEDS MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, DIAL 9-8-8 FOR THE WISCONSIN
SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE. FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG