Children and youth are facing a mental health crisis that was building for years and deepened during the pandemic. Success in school requires that students’ mental health needs be met through a mix of clinical supports, relationship building and constructive outlets. May 2022 Prior to the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 1 in 5 children had a mental health disorder, but only about 20% of those children received care from a mental health provider.

Thousands of RCSD students returned to in-person learning after 544 days, having experienced prolonged periods of:

• social isolation
• food insecurity
• homelessness
• death of loved ones/caregivers
• surge in community violence
• ongoing trauma