PERRYSBURG, Ohio —
The state's top mental health council shows an increase in the need for services and help among students.
The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers reported a nearly 22% increase in the need for services from schools during the 2023-2024 academic year. Since 2017, there has been a more than 220% increase.
Justin Fults, director of student services and wellbeing for Perrysburg Schools, says the increase in services isn't necessarily a bad thing, though.
"I think that on a positive note, the stigma around receiving mental health services has been reduced to where I think it's something that seems pretty commonplace for parents to go seeking those types of resources for their families," he said.
Perrysburg Schools isn't directly affiliated with the council, but what Fults has noticed within the district matches the report.
"We've seen a really big rise in anxiety levels among students really going from kindergarten through 12th grade," he said.
Fults said a student's age can affect what factors impact their mental health.
For some, it's social media. For others, it's pressure.
"Amongst our secondary students, there's a lot of pressure. We have very involved students who are very high-achieving," Fults said. "I think all that pressure and the demands of their time can be a lot."
His biggest concern, though, is staffing.
According to the council, the main barriers affecting school-based well-being services are provider shortages, the extremely high needs of students compared to wait lists and challenges retaining staff.
"I think a lot of the times, there's such a large demand for services that the supply side of it is just not there," Fults said. "It's competitive for some of our community mental health partners. It's difficult to hold on to people. Even as the report highlights, the compensation can be pretty different from working in that setting versus a private setting."
According to him, Perrysburg Schools continues to ensure students' needs are being met.
As the needs grow across the state, though, more should be done.
"Find ways to creatively fund some of these positions in order to make it an attractive place for people to work so that we can see people be retained and try to help solidify that aspect of the workforce," Fults said.