2022 National Poll of Mental Health Services in Schools

Effective School Solutions
Releases New National Polling
of Administrators & Parents on
Mental Health Care in Schools

90% of administrators and nearly 60% of parents believe that there is a growing youth mental health crisis, while about 60% of administrators say the problem is the same as or worse than a year ago.
“Our first-of-its-kind polling reveals that administrators and parents see a significant, long-term problem with the mental health of young people that must be solved. Schools are positioned to play a powerful role in bolstering the mental health continuum supporting this population.” said Duncan Young, CEO of ESS. “We are partnering with school districts across the country to help districts strengthen mental health supports to reach every student in need, and to support the educators serving them.”

Key findings

  • While schools have made progress in tackling the youth mental health crisis and 80% of parents believe that schools should play a role in the delivery of mental health, educators say that districts continue to face significant hurdles when it comes to early identification of students with mental health challenges (52%), staffing (50%), and funding (47%).

  • While 75% of administrators say their schools are implementing best practices around student mental health, less than half (45%) of parents feel the same way, suggesting a gap between the two groups and an opportunity to bridge that gap with more support.

  • Both parents (40%) and educators (50%) are concerned with districts having adequate staff to address student needs, as well as identifying students with mental health needs (44% and 52%, respectively).

  • However, only about 60% report expansion of mental health counseling resources, and just over 40% of administrators report their schools have adopted broad-based mental health screening initiatives.

  • Over 55% of administrators express that they do not have enough information about or are not aware of funding resources for mental health programs.

Addressing the Mental Health Crisis

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Effective School Solutions’ National Poll of Administrators & Parents on Mental Health Care in Schools Results

Learn more about Funding Sustainable School-Based Mental Health Programs

Complete this form to schedule a free mental health planning session where we will discuss available financial sources you can leverage to fund school-based mental health programs in your district.

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Our Unwavering Focus on Data Collection

At ESS, we have an unrelenting focus on data, measuring results, and communicating to our partners the proven impact our programming has on mental health, school outcomes and financial sustainability.

With every ESS partner, we will:

• Set data driven goals at the beginning of every implementation

• Have regular “Report Card” meetings in which we share the impact of ESS services

• Monitor data along the way to look for potential risk areas so that these can be proactively addressed

Learn more about our Will to Wellness 6 Step Framework

Complete this form to discuss best practices for districts, states, and federal policymakers that will reinvent mental health in schools over the next five years.

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Speak with our experts to learn how your district can improve outcomes and reduce costs

Complete this form to schedule a free consultation to learn more about your needs and challenges and to provide insights on where you may be able to improve mental health support.

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Let’s Discuss Your Student Mental Health Needs

Fill out the form to request a meeting with one of our clinical experts to explore ways we can partner to strengthen your mental health programs.

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