Child Mental Health - How Schools Can Help Address Challenges

An accomplished early childhood psychologist and academic administrator, Timothy Kovacs holds a license as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). A master of psychology graduate from California State University, Fullerton, he serves as the assistant director of education services with the Baldwin Park Unified School District, a position he has held for a decade. Timothy Kovacs specializes in various issues affecting early childhood education including mental health.

In recent times, children’s mental health has become one of the most challenging issues facing the education system and society in general. Even though parents and guardians can easily identify and provide for their children’s physical needs, such as nutritious food and clothing, a child’s mental and emotional needs may not be easy to detect. The school has a major role to contribute towards improving the mental health of children as teachers often find themselves on the frontline of dealing with mental health issues at school.

The school environment can be a great catalyst for impacting change in the mental status of their students. For instance, mental health needs to be firmly integrated into the school curriculum as this will help address issues surrounding stigma in school and develop a better understanding of how they can be solved. Without doing this, children with mental health issues may not realize their deteriorating health and may also remain silent and fear seeking help. Teachers and students having open discussions about mental health is an excellent way of helping kids gain knowledge and understanding of mental health issues. Schools should strive to talk more about mental health the same way they do for other areas such as physical development and healthy eating.