This is the conclusion from Lucy Foulkes, who at one time, believed bringing mental health therapies and services into the schools would help students. She is now explaining why mental health services in the schools, are not working:
The reality is more sobering. Researchers have now run many studies testing the impact of universal school mental-health interventions and have found that they don’t really improve mental health.
According to Commissioner Frank Edelblut, New Hampshire has spent $10 million dollars on the Multi Tiered System of Support for Behavior in New Hampshire schools. This mental health framework was implemented in our schools through Federal grants. Now we are finding out that all of that money to transform public schools into mental health clinics, didn’t work.
Faulkes documents the research here.
In our group, we have proposed that mental health awareness efforts may be contributing to the increase in reported rates of mental health problems, an idea we term the prevalence inflation hypothesis. We are currently collecting data to assess this hypothesis, as are other groups internationally.
Key papers:
Foulkes, L. (2024). The problem with mental health awareness. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 225(2), 337-338.
Foulkes, L., & Andrews, J. L. (2023).Are mental health awareness efforts contributing to the rise in reported mental health problems? A call to test the prevalence inflation hypothesis.New Ideas in Psychology, 69, 101010.
Instead of making sure a child who needs services gets expert care from a mental health professional, we are funneling money to transform schools into mental health clinics, and that doesn’t appear to be helping children at all.
In addition to the $10 million dollars spent in New Hampshire, local taxpayers have also spent money on Social and Emotional Learning, and hiring additional counselors, social workers and school psychologists. Within this framework, taxpayers might also be paying for students to receive these experimental mental health treatments from a 3rd party provider. This has also come under harsh criticism .
What does this mean for New Hampshire? It should mean that legislators need to be working on dismantling this system. That starts with repealing the current law included in Title X – Public Health, Chapter 135-F – System of Care for Children’s Mental Health:
(l) Statewide use of the multi-tiered system of supports for behavioral health and wellness, or MTSS-B, in New Hampshire schools to address New Hampshire students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health needs in order to improve students’ educational outcomes and keep students in their home schools and communities. For the purposes of this chapter, a “multi-tiered system of supports for behavioral health and wellness” or “MTSS-B” shall include:
(1) A school wide system of evidence-based behavioral practices for all students;
(2) A targeted system of practices for youth who need additional support; and
(3) A tertiary system of intensive and individualized interventions for students with the greatest behavioral needs.
Going back to a public school system focused on academics returns public schools to their original mission; to educate children.
Mental health for children is equally, if not sometimes more important for some children who need these services. But that kind of assessment and treatment should be done outside the public school system. New Hampshire public schools have already proven that this transformation to mental health services can be corrupted, and full of problems. (SEE list below)
We have children sitting in local hospitals waiting for a bed in the ONE children’s mental health hospital in New Hampshire. Sometimes they sit there for a week. These children who are desperate for care but cannot always get the services they need because there is no room for them.
New Hampshire spent $10 million dollars on transforming public schools into mental health clinics, and the studies are showing they don’t work. Legislators need to understand that this costly experiment is not working, and they need to shift resources to mental health services that have the greatest impact on children.
Anyone living in New Hampshire reading this article should send this directly to their elected representative and senator. Ask them to read it, then gather up some sponsors to repeal the MTSS-B in state statute.
President Trump recently ended the $1 Billion dollar mental health grants to schools. This administration must already know that all of that money was wasted on this experiment. Now schools can go back to educating children, and any new resources can be used to help children in the most productive way.
LIST:
1) Exec. Council Urged to Reject Funding for Unethical Mental Health Treatment in Our Schools
2) SEL is Draining Tax Dollars from the Merrimack School Budget
3) Night Cap: What’s SO Bad About Social and Emotional Learning (and the SEL Proposed Legislation in NH)?
4) Warning to Parents: They Are Trying to Turn Your Public School Into a Mental Health Clinic
5) SEL + ESG = Social Credit System In NH Schools: The Danger to Your Child
6) Mental Health Treatment in NH Schools is Failing Students and Teachers
7) Mental Health Data on Children is Leaving Schools Without Parental Knowledge or Consent
8) URGENT: Mental Health Data on Students Shared w/out Parental Knowledge or Consent: SHOCKING ADMISSIONS!
9) NH Schools Building Psychological Profiles on Children Without Parental Knowledge or Consent
10) Mental Health Data on Children is Leaving Schools Without Parental Knowledge or Consent
