Originally Released: September 20, 1996
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UM MEDICAL CENTER SPONSORS NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

An estimated one out of every five school-age children has a mental health or behavioral problem. In Baltimore City over 80 percent of school children who suffer from emotional problems have never had any contact with mental health services. These students often have a higher rate of school drop-out, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, anxiety or depression caused by crime, violence, parental neglect or poverty.

To address the mental health needs of school age children across the U.S., the University of Maryland Department of Psychiatry has been awarded a $1.4 million, five year federal grant to provide training and technical assistance to school mental health programs and educational personnel throughout the nation, so that children who are affected by mental health problems can get help. The program is called the Center for School Mental Health Assistance.

The Center sponsored its first national conference to address how to improve mental health programs in schools, on September 20 and 21. Over 300 professionals, including social workers, psychologists, nurses, school counselors, and physicians attended the two day conference, at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport Marriot Hotel.

"One way to significantly address the unmet mental health needs of youth, is to place more mental health services in schools and to expand the existing services," says Mark Weist, Ph.D., assistant professor of Psychiatry and director of the Center. "Schools provide a single point of access to services in a familiar, non-threatening atmosphere."

The primary goal of the Center for School Mental Health Assistance (CSMHA), is to provide support to school-based health, education, and mental health staff, through consultations, training of staff and assessment of mental health needs. The CSMHA will also create guidelines for school mental health programs, develop a network of mental health providers and provide information through conferences and newsletters. The CSMHA is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Office of Adolescent Health.

"While more children are coming to school with tremendous problems, our present society offers less and less support to children," says Marcia Glass-Siegel, coordinator of the CSMHA. "By bringing the mental health services to the school and expanding the services currently available, we can better address those needs."

Expanded school mental health programs may include: screening youth early for mental health problems; individual, group and family counseling; referral of youth for more intensive services (e.g. medication); addressing "school-wide" issues such as violence; and providing educational materials and consultative services to teachers and parents.

The national conference examined the advantages and issues related to developing a school mental health program as well as resources that are available and models to follow.

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This page was last updated on: March 12, 2008.