Cops & No Counselors: How the Lack of School Mental Health Staff Is Harming Students

Abstract

This report examines data provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to better understand the prevalence of school-based mental health (SBMH) professionals in schools. Asserting that access to emotional, behavioral, and mental health supports are part of accessing a Free and Appropriate Education and are a civil right, Dr. Mann and her collaborators at the ACLU examine the impact of a lack of appropriate SBMH supports in schools. The report authors also examine the consequences of hardening of schools including the proliferation of law enforcement in schools.