School officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, have hired an additional social worker, one for each of the system’s 26 high schools, and have given all high schools this year a focus on supporting the mental health of their students. The company said it plans to open a wellness center on the premises.

As countywide school systems address concerns about student mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Health is the biggest issue facing public education today,” said Damon, assistant superintendent of health, learning, and achievement for the Schools Support and Health Department at a Montgomery County Board of Education meeting on Thursday. Monteleone said.

“We are driven by the belief that schools should be sanctuaries of health for our students.”

Six of the county’s high schools already have comprehensive wellness centers on campus, with 19 high schools getting versions specifically focused on mental health support this year .

“Initially, 10 schools were identified as priority schools for expanding mental health services, but it is very important to expand services in all high schools to meet the needs of students. Now it’s clear,” Dr. Patricia Kapnan, the school system’s medical director, told board members. .

The new wellness space is called ‘Bridges to Wellness’ and will be expanded into a ‘full-fledged wellness center’ offering more comprehensive services in the coming years.

In the short term, the “bridge” center is expected to be operational by October, said Mark Hodge, senior administrator of school health services for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, which partners with the school system. increase.

The center is staffed five days a week by mental health clinicians and care management professionals.

At present, more than half of the centers are staffed, and Hodge said officials expect all staff to be fully staffed by October, more than a month after the start of the school year. says there is.

The wellness center was endorsed by Montgomery County Rep. Nancy Navarro. Last spring, the council approved her $8 million in funding to support the initiative.

Concerns about student mental health came to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly a third of students nationwide report poor mental health during the pandemic, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released earlier this year.

Virtual learning and coronavirus quarantines have also led to other disruptions, such as chronic absenteeism.

About a quarter of Montgomery County public school students, or 37,000 students, were chronically absent during the previous school year, according to data submitted to the Montgomery County Board of Governors on Thursday.

In addition to student health centers, the school system also said every high school will start the new year with its own dedicated social worker.

Stephanie Wallace, the school system’s social worker supervisor, told board members that there are six social workers stationed at the central office who can serve the primary and secondary schools. Partnership with the University of Maryland.

During the meeting, board member Karla Silvestre said the board will hold a follow-up meeting in February to assess how wellness-focused programs are performing.

“We do a lot,” she said. “I think we’re doing great. What’s working? What’s not working? Where should we shift our resources?”

Board member Lynn Harris lobbied the school system to engage with students on how the new wellness center would operate.

“Last week… when I visited some schools, I saw some of these newly created wellness spaces and they were empty and empty, office furniture, white walls, nobody,” he said. she said.