2022 Education magazine

Page 28 2022 Education Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS February / March 2022 A children’s mental health initiative started in 2017 at Lincoln Junior High School has been expanded to include seven elementary schools in Logan County. The Children’s MOSAIC Project, a community-based partnership between Memorial Behavioral Health and local education leaders, opens access to mental health services for children by embedding counselors within a school, where they provide on-site screenings and therapy sessions during school hours. Although the first MOSAIC program in Logan County launched prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the expansion of the program into seven more schools comes at an important time. In the fall of 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry declared an emergency in child and adolescent mental health. The isolation, uncertainty and loss experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic had taken an alarming toll on children. Between March and October of 2020, emergency department visits for mental health emergencies rose by 24% for children ages five to 11 years and 31% for children ages 12-17 years. In addition, emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts increased 51% among girls ages 12-17 years in early 2021, compared to the same period in 2019, according to information from the American Academy of Pediatrics website. “Response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Jonathan Ponser, LCPC, manager of Behavioral Therapy Services for Memorial Behavioral Health. “A program like this can be a literal lifeline to kids who are struggling with mental health issues and have very limited access to mental healthcare services. We have excellent communication with the schools, and everyone is pulling in the same direction to support the needs of each student in the program.” But even though mental illness affects so many children, at least one-half – others estimate as many as 80% of these children – do not receive the mental healthcare they need, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “By eliminating the need for insurance, transportation, copays and time for traditional appointments, we bring the counseling office to the client,” said Ponser. “Parents and educators, alike, appreciate the easy access and ability to take advantage of these mental healthcare services without removing a child from school to attend an appointment.” initiative reaches students during higher need Children’s mental health prioritized - by Ellen Woehrmann for Memorial Health Continued p