The Suicide Prevention Recource Center states “Mental health problems can affect a student's energy level, concentration, dependability, mental ability, and optimism, hindering performance.” It can affect kids in different ways, sometimes it can even form depression.

Children and youth with mental health challenges sometimes experience difficulty at school for a variety of reasons. ACMH receives frequent calls from parents whose kids are struggling to be successful or sometimes not even being allowed to stay at school due to un-addressed mental health needs. Accessing the services that children and youth may need to help them better manage and support their mental health needs at school can be quite challenging.

Addressing mental health needs in school is critically important because 1 in 5 children and youth have a diagnosable emotional, behavioral or mental health disorder and 1 in 10 young people have a mental health challenge that is severe enough to impair how they function at home, school or in the community. Many estimates show that even though mental illness affects so many of our kids aged 6-17 at least one-half and many estimate as many as 80% of them do not receive the mental health care they need. Mental Health Disorders can affect classroom learning and social interactions, both of which are critical to the success of students.