While Wisconsin has a higher prevalence of mental illness than 40 other states and schools scramble to address children’s mental health needs, a new study identifies a growing shortage of Psychiatrists in three quarters of Wisconsin Counties.
“That shortage is also a serious problem in the state’s largest metro areas,” according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum (WPF), which issued the study.
The WPF study notes that mental illness often goes untreated in Wisconsin, which ranks 41 out of the 50 states for prevalence of mental illness, according to Mental Health America.
The prognosis for improving access to mental health physicians is not promising since WPF found that the average age of Psychiatrists in Wisconsin is 50 or older.
While schools rely on counselors and social workers, these professionals can’t properly serve children and families if they don’t have access to Psychiatrists to address the more demanding cases.
Many recent efforts to improve community and school safety are focused on improving childhood mental health. That’s why the Department of Justice School Safety grants require grant recipients to get training in Trauma-Informed Care/Trauma Sensitive Schools.
The belief is that by being aware of mental health issues, school staff will be able to support students and families so isolation doesn’t turn to violence.
The ability to catch student issues early, and seek support and intervention, are especially necessary in a shortage environment.
The DPI has free online TIC/TSS training. Using that training is made simpler and more accessible with help from our TIC/TSS training guide, available here for WCRIS members.
