Jackson-Reed has hired three new social workers, hoping to provide students with easier access to mental health support. It is unclear whether this will be enough to meet the needs of students, however it is a big step in the right direction.
Tina Johnson and Launiece Allen are the new DCPS school-based social workers, and Jullianne Monroe is a new clinical psychologist from Mary’s Center, a community based organization (CBO) that provides health, wellness, and social services. School-based social workers help special education students who need additional help, while clinical psychologists help general education students experiencing mental distress. Monroe was hired to DCPS as part of the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) expansion program, which recruits social workers from unaffiliated CBOs and brings them to schools that have low numbers of social workers.
Dr. Perette Arrington, a clinical psychologist working at Jackson-Reed from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), is hopeful that the new staff will facilitate student access to social workers, but still believes more hires are needed. “The number of social workers that DCPS had allotted in the school building was not enough, and to be quite honest, still is not enough. There are so many students who need additional support,” she said. Arrington believes that to prevent social workers from being overworked additional mental health staff should be hired, but recognizes the budgeting issues are a block. “Mr. Brown and his team have a difficult task of determining staff hiring needs while working within a tight budget.” She added, “this is why DCPS partners with The DBH so that additional resources can be offered to all DCPS schools, including Public Charter Schools if needed and requested.”
Arrington believes that if DCPS is still unable to meet the school’s needs throughout the year, it will begin hiring directly with DBH rather than relying on CBOs. She also emphasized that the mental health team tries to reach as many students as possible through Tier 1 programs. This involves giving presentations aimed to teach students how to avoid or mitigate abusive relationships and prevent drug addictions.
The limited number of social workers in schools is a broader issue that exists throughout the country. According to NBC, many school districts have had issues hiring mental health professionals, which creates a backlog of students who are unable to access the care that they need. Over time, as students remain unable to obtain necessary mental health services, they start to need more intensive care.
The new social workers at Jackson-Reed could help resolve these issues. However, more students will also want to use mental health services if they know they are easier to access, which takes away from the ability for social workers to go through the backlog that currently exists. This could recreate the current issues that affect the mental health staff. If further social workers are hired, Jackson-Reed could help mediate this issue
