Nostalgia colors many of our memories of our childhood years, yet many of us will readily admit to feeling confused, frustrated, and disempowered during these critical times. The experience is universal. From John Hughes’ 1985 film The Breakfast Club, Simple Plan’s 2002 charttopper “I’m Just A Kid,” to Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 album Sour, many generations have explored the nuances of childhood angst.
The term “angst,” of course, diminishes the real challenges that children face. Divorce, addiction, violence, poverty, and abusive, absent, or incarcerated parents can significantly impact children’s lives. The ever-present companion of a screen often unleashes problems of bullying, comparison, and anxiety, fueled by social media. Additionally, the inconsistencies and inadequacies of the school system were brutally exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Swift, harsh consequences for students’ mental health followed. Strongly increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation have led pediatricians and schools to warn that America’s youth are amidst a mental health crisis. Minnesota is no exception: the youth suicide rate is higher than the national average.
There can be help. One tool in the educator’s toolbox is that of the mental health professional, or school counselor. In Minnesota, strong efforts have gone towards expanding the number of school counselors available. Mark Sander, Hennepin County director of school mental health, spoke to educational news outlet The 74 regarding Minnesota’s transformation. He pointed to transformation of the field over time, saying
If we go back to 2005, we had therapists in five schools. Now, just in Hennepin County alone, we have 22 different agencies doing this work. There are over 230 therapists in over 220 schools just in Hennepin County serving about 7,000 students a year.
Minnesota’s efforts haven’t gone unseen. A COVID-era brief authored by the US Department of Education praised Minnesota’s grant-based counselor placement program for its thoughtfulness.
In terms of numbers, however, there is strong room to grow. Minnesota still has the third lowest student to counselor ratio in the nation, trailing Arizona and Michigan. The American School Counselor Association recommends a student to teacher ratio of 250 to one; Minnesota has a ratio of 544 to one. (Most states do not follow the American School Counselor Association’s recommendation. The national average student to teacher ratio is 385 to one.)
Not all students will experience a school counselor. While free- and reduced-cost mental health care is available in 82% of Minnesota’s public school districts, it’s only available in 61% of the state’s 2,661 public schools. The divide often comes down to whether a student lives in an urban or rural district. Rural districts tend to spend their money elsewhere, as the drawbacks of rural living make it difficult to attract and retain youth mental health professionals. The rural lifestyle creates challenges of practice, as well. Some school counselors that work in very rural districts have noted that long driving distances and high poverty rates make it difficult for parents to take time off work in order to attend family therapy sessions. However, the counselors that do operate in rural scenarios often report strong levels of demand.
Today, the state spends over $20 million on mental health care in schools, up from 2008’s $4.7 million. How has the increased presence of counselors affected student outcomes?
For explanatory reasons, it’s helpful to distinguish the role of the school counselor as operating within two loose (unscientific) categories: a giver of individual therapy and a shepherd of school culture. A counselor might give individual therapy sessions to a student who is experiencing any of a number of potential issues, such as depression, anxiety, anger, or addiction. Given that this work is confidential and subtle, and that many students facing long-term issues often transfer into specialized private care, it is almost impossible to quantify these therapy efforts in a way that measures success. Districts must self assess whether they’re reaching students in need. For example, Hennepin County’s Mark Sanders said that
Half of the students that are supported by school-based mental health in Hennepin County have never had mental health services before. Of those that are getting it for the first time, 40% have really significant mental health issues.
The other role of a school counselor is that of a school shepherd, who shapes and molds school culture. Many school counselors now act as college and career counselors due to their ability to connect with a child on social, emotional, and academic levels. They can provide cultural transition services to young immigrants, or create targeted intervention programs for groups that perform poorly on standardized assessments. Additionally, counselors are a favored tool in the ongoing battle against chronic absenteeism. And, at the elementary level, counselors will enter classrooms to give lectures about bullying, kindness, and emotional health.
Research has shown that test scores and college acceptances can increase due to counselor intervention. However, counselors might not yet be strong enough tools to change violent school cultures. Recent data suggests that the number of assaults and incidents involving weapons in schools has risen in Minnesota. (That data doesn’t exist in a vacuum, however; rates could also be chalked up to increasing levels of cultural violence or changing discipline policies at the district level.) More data will need to be collected before a quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of Minnesota’s increased school counselor presence can be conducted.
Some school counselors have found that school districts are unexpected hotbeds of controversy. Last year, a school counselor in Rochester was expelled from her teacher’s union after she voiced concern regarding her district’s transgender and gender-expansive guidelines.
Each school district must decide for themselves if a school counselor (or school counselor team) fits into their budgetary and cultural needs. Counselors can work in tandem with other initiatives, and districts can be imaginative in the ways they support students. Peer mental health support groups and student leadership groups can positively impact school cultures and give students a feeling of ownership over their community.
In some circumstances, students may need specialized mental health care services. Some of Minnesota’s charter schools can cater to at-risk youth or students who need a recovery high school.
