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District mental-health staff report high needs, reduced screening and request restoration of counselors
Summary
District mental‑health staff reported that about 25% of secondary students and about 26% of elementary students show symptoms of anxiety or depression, that staff reductions have limited screening and services, and that the team proposed a sustainable staffing model requiring more FTE to restore screening and direct counseling capacity.
District mental-health leaders told the Bellevue School District board that screening data and staffing cuts are creating gaps in services and limiting the district’s ability to identify and support students in crisis.
Presenters described preliminary results from BIMAS-2 and other screeners showing roughly 25 percent of secondary students and around 26 percent of elementary students self-report symptoms consistent with anxiety or depression. District presenters said about 16 percent of screened secondary students indicated recent thoughts of self‑harm on the screener and that the mental‑health assistance team follows up individually on those results.
Speakers cautioned that the number of suicide-intervention forms completed dropped by 155 this year compared with prior reporting, a change they attribute to reduced screening rather than fewer students in crisis. They said team staffing has been cut to roughly one-third of prior levels, constraining both screening and preventive work and forcing a focus on reactive crisis response.
MHAT presenters showed two staffing scenarios. A sustainable model would require about 9.5 FTE to screen multiple grade levels and provide some direct counseling to middle‑school students; an ideal model of roughly 19.5 FTE would provide counselors at most schools and restore broader screening and services. Presenters said they are working with five community partners and use 988 and partner referral services to expand reach.
Board members thanked staff and asked for follow-up detail on outcome measures, the difference in teacher‑reported elementary conduct vs. student self‑report in secondary screening, and possible external funding or partnerships to rebuild capacity.
What’s next: District staff will return with additional data on screening trends and proposed staffing models to present a sustainable plan and funding options.
