New York state is joining parents in the fight to help kids through a number of newly implemented initiatives as the rate of mental health problems among young people is raising concerns. Parents and professionals are weighing in on what they see works.

Gov. Kathy Hochul last year unveiled a $1 billion multi-year initiative aimed at updating mental health care accessibility and significantly reducing unmet mental health needs statewide. The comprehensive initiative has been well received by school districts, which are embracing the investment.

The governor’s initiative established mental health clinics in 137 school districts across the state in 2023, bringing the total to more than 1,200 sites. The collaborative effort between districts and organizations seeking to expand mental health clinics helps foster a stigma-free environment for students.

Corryn Andrianus, a school-based clinician at South Colonie School District, highlighted the post-pandemic surge in mental health challenges faced by youth, and emphasized the need for social skill development and empathy.

"Coming out of the COVID pandemic, I have noticed an uptick in depression, anxiety and especially loneliness, children not feeling as connected to their peers," Andrianus said. "Some of them are working on those social skills and practicing empathy and making friendships."

Amy Kapes, a social worker at the Kingston City School District, elaborated on the various intervention levels offered, ranging from home visits to daily support from community partners.

"We have various levels of intervention. So that could be anything from doing home visits and referrals and working with our community partners or community agencies, to supporting them on a daily basis." Kapes said.

Onsite mental health clinics serve to normalize discussions around mental health and provide timely support from trained professionals, noted Edie Schwimmer, a social worker at Kingston schools. 

"The ways to create resilience and connection with the kids is really to have them involved, to have them find a place where they feel seen and heard and they feel comfortable where they're pursuing an interest that they really like." Schwimmer said.

However, challenges persist.

Amy DiRamio, chief of behavioral services at Northern Rivers Family of Services, touched on the critical shortage of mental health professionals. 

"There is a critical shortage across the state of professionals in the mental health field too, whether it's prescribers, psychiatric nurses, clinicians," DiRamio stated.

As legislators convene at the Capitol to deliberate on this year’s budget allocations, stakeholders, including youth, parents and organizations, voice their priorities for addressing the needs of young people.

Cody Hauptman, a student from Sequoya High School, emphasized the importance of recognizing mental illnesses in teenagers. 

"A lot of people look for mental illnesses in adults instead of teenagers, and when they see teenagers go through mental illness and think it's regular teenage behavior and it's really not." Hauptman said.

Concerned parent Faith Beaty stressed the collective responsibility of parents in supporting their children's mental well-being. 

"If we as parents don't do what we're supposed to do for our children, then they fall between the cracks. And who do they have to blame? You know, except us. So we have to do what's right by our children," said Beaty.

Statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Health underscore the urgency of action, revealing the heightened risk of school dropout among high school students facing depression and the prevalence of mental health disorders among youth ages 6-17.

Andrianus reiterated the importance of tailoring support to meet individual needs, emphasizing the significance of trust-building and connection in the therapeutic process. 

"Some kiddos may come in with different levels of needs, and from there they might need different levels of trust building and different levels of connection," she said.