Comptroller urges greater state oversight over school mental health instruction |
On Board Online • April 25, 2022
By Paul Heiser
Senior Research Analyst
An audit by the New York State Comptroller's Office recommends that the State Education Department (SED) do more to ensure local school districts are incorporating mandatory mental health instruction into their curricula.
The audit found that SED made available resources, such as evidence-based and best practice instructional resources and materials, to help schools develop classroom instruction. However, it determined that SED did not require districts to submit any documentation or other information to verify they were complying with the law during the audit period (July 2018 through August 2021).
The audit was undertaken in response to a state law enacted in 2018 that required school districts teach students in K-12 about mental health to help them recognize signs and symptoms related to mental health issues and decrease the stigma around mental health. The law does not mandate a specific health education curriculum; it gives districts latitude in developing their own programs based on local circumstances.
Auditors evaluated 22 school districts. Administrators in all 22 were able to describe the mental health curriculum they implemented, and all 22 reported delivering the instruction despite the pandemic. But only 19 districts were able to provide supporting documentation to show that they had met the minimum requirements of the law. Auditors noted that mental health curricula varied widely among the 19 districts.
SED responded to the audit by saying they do not prescribe curriculum in any subject but set education standards that are reviewed and adopted by the Board of Regents. SED also stressed that it was the responsibility of local boards of education and school administrators to develop and implement mental health curricula that complied with the state law.
A secondary goal of the audit was to determine what mental health services, if any, school districts had in place. Auditors concluded that many school districts were understaffed in relation to staffing ratios recommended by the National Center for School Mental Health and the National Association of Schools Psychologists.
In the 2019-20 school year:
- 66% did not meet the recommended ratio of one school counselor for every 250 students.
- 50% did not meet the recommended ratio of one school psychologist for every 500 students.
- 95% did not meet the recommended ratio of one school social worker for every 250 students.
- 19 districts reported having no mental health professional staff at all.
"The enacted state budget includes $100 million that will help districts address mental health, particularly in staffing," said NYSSBA Deputy Executive Director Jay Worona. "However, there is a shortage of mental health professionals with expertise in youth."
The audit made two recommendations. The first is that a mechanism be developed to determine if school districts are providing mental health education as required by law. The second is to explore ways that state and local entities can partner to determine whether school districts should maintain certain staffing levels for mental health professionals.
To read the full audit report, entitled "Oversight of Mental Health Education in Schools," go to bit.ly/3M3Y1X2 .