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Committee reviews national models and Arkansas data on student mental‑health staffing
Summary
Consultants told the committee that student mental‑health needs are high and that Arkansas compares favorably on some counselor ratios; they recommended screening, MTSS/Whole Child approaches and targeted grants, and pledged to return with more state‑level granularity.
Janie Pistaceli of APA told the Senate Education Committee that national evidence points to rising youth mental‑health needs and gaps in school staffing to respond.
Pistaceli cited the National Alliance on Mental Illness figure that about 1 in 5 youth has a mental‑health condition and noted that suicide is the third leading cause of death for ages 10–19 (CDC). Using NCES 2017 data, she reported national averages and comparisons: Arkansas was…
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