Fact Sheet: School-Based Mental Health Coordinators: What They Are and Why Children and Teens Need Them

Research tells a bleak story of U.S. children and youth with unmet mental health needs (anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc.). One-in-five children and adolescents experiences a mental health condition in a given year. One-in-ten high school students attempted suicide one or more times during the past year. And 59% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. To help combat this dismal situation, some states are providing more support in schools because that is where children and teens spend significant time. The addition of school-based mental health coordinators -- individuals who can both identify students with mental health needs and direct them to treatment options -- enhances the capacity of schools to address the youth mental health crisis. This fact sheet examines what are school-based mental health coordinators and students need them.