DiNapoli: NYC Department of Education must do more to combat mental health crisis among youth
Many schools have far less than the recommended number of mental health professionals on staff
The latest in State Comptroller DiNapoli’s series of audits of health and safety in schools finds that, in the face of a mental health crisis among youth, the NYC Department of Education (DOE) can do more to ensure that public school students receive the supports and services that they need and that are supposed to be available. The audit found that too many NYC public schools are understaffed with mental health professionals, are not adequately training staff and too few have services readily available—and that DOE provides little oversight to ensure students receive the required mental health instruction critical to developing their awareness and resilience.
“While DOE has shown a willingness to confront these issues, many of New York’s school children still face a mental health emergency, and schools are not equipped to provide them with the support they need,” said DiNapoli. “At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a worsening mental health crisis among youth in New York State, the DOE should step up efforts to improve oversight of public schools’ mental health curriculum and equip school staff with the resources they need to support students’ emotional wellbeing.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of childhood mental health concerns have been increasing steadily since 2010. Among the New York state high school student population in 2017, around 17% of youth seriously considered suicide and slightly over 10% made non-fatal suicide attempts. This mental health crisis has been further compounded by the isolation, disengagement, and instability brought on by the pandemic as well as other traumatic societal events, making the need for comprehensive mental health training, services and supports even more critical.