Importance of mental health screenings during back to school season

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Back to school typically means school supplies, doctors’ visits to get up to date shots, and dental screenings, but don’t forget about your family’s mental health.

WTOC sat down with a social worker who said your mental health is perhaps the most important screening of all.

According to licensed clinical social worker, Phylicia Anderson, one in five children experience a mental health disorder each year.

50% of all mental health conditions begin by age 14, 70% of children and adolescents who need mental health treatment do not receive it. Children with untreated mental health issues are more likely to face academic challenges, including higher dropout rates.

Anderson explained ways parents can help.

“If you have a young person in your home and they are irritable or angry and it’s not necessarily something that provoked that or maybe they’re sleeping a lot more or sleeping a little bit less . If they are a little anxious and it has been going on for a few weeks, that may be some signs that we want to look for. Let me see if there’s something else going on with my child. What are some of the resources that are available through the school so maybe public health? So happy you met with me here at the front porch. The front porch is multi-agency resource center. So Gateway behavioral health center, and many other partners support and coordinate with the front porch to provide care add Support to the families here,” said Anderson.

These services are available to all Chatham County students and their families.

“They can come here and get a needs assessment done and get connected to some resources available to them .A lot of parents say it’s not that they don’t wanna help their kids, they don’t know where to start and front porch is a great way to start place to start let’s get those connections made,” said Anderson.

The Gateway mental health board also has a school based mental health program called Apex with therapists who can work directly in the schools and provide mental health and counseling to the students.

They’re also hoping to move into all the schools to be more accessible to the children who need them most.

Parents are key to keeping their children healthy .

“Don’t ever feel afraid. Ignoring a problem does not make the problem go away,” said Anderson.