Arkansas Department of Education addresses rising mental health concerns in schools

The Arkansas Department of Education has been preparing schools for the upcoming weeks, with a particular focus on addressing mental health concerns. “We are seeing a greater need for mental health help… and in students we’ve never seen before,” said Jacob Oliva, the Secretary of Education. The department is working to provide districts with high-quality access to mental health education. This includes training for teachers to recognize signs of students in mental health distress and guidance on how to report these cases to ensure the students receive the necessary care. “And then also access to high quality mental health services. Increasing the number of school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, is something that our agency is actively working with our partners at the Division of Human Services,” said Oliva. The Secretary of Education also emphasized the importance of removing the stigma associated with seeking mental health care. “What we’re also finding is that navigating through the healthcare system and removing the stigma that it’s okay to seek out mental health is something that we want to continue to partner with,” Oliva said. The department is particularly concerned about the lack of access to mental health services in rural areas of the state. “Our smaller rural areas across the state have some deserts and islands where access is limited and a challenge. So we’re looking at seeing if we can acquire some statewide universal access through telehealth portals to help meet the needs of students and families,” Oliva explained. In addition to mental health, the department is also focusing on the LEARNS Act, the voucher program, and the school phone-free pilot program.Oliva also spoke about the LEARNS Act, the voucher program and the school phone-free pilot program. We’ll break those down on 40/29 News On the Record, airing at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 11.

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