Latest news with #NCChild
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NCIOM President Michelle Ries and NC Child's Erica Palmer Smith on the 2025 Child Health Report Card
NCIOM President Michelle Ries and NC Child's Erica Palmer Smith (courtesy photos) For nearly three decades, a pair of nonprofits – the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and NC Child – have released a biennial study known as the Child Health Report Card. The goal, as you might expect, is to provide legislators, public health officials, school administrators, parents and other nonprofit leaders with the latest information on the health and well-being of our state's kids. This year – as in 2023 – the focus of the report is on the mental health struggles that plague so many children and the urgent need for better (and better funded) public responses. And recently, to learn more about this issue and several others detailed in the report, NC Newsline caught up with the leaders of the two organizations – Institute of Medicine President and CEO Michelle Ries and NC Child executive director, Erica Palmer Smith. Listen to the full interview here with Institute of Medicine President and CEO Michelle Ries and NC Child executive director Erica Palmer Smith. Click here to read the 2025 Child Health Report Card.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rising to the challenge: Addressing the youth mental health crisis in our schools
/istock Youth mental health is in a state of crisis. There is no denying that anymore. According to the latest data, nearly one in five adolescents in North Carolina suffered from depression and one in ten of our high school students reported attempting suicide. There has been a drastic increase in rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation amongst our youth in recent years and we know that what happens at school is contributing to those issues through peer pressure and bullying. That's why schools have to be part of the solution. Schools are places of learning and connection. Schools are where young people spend the most important hours of their day and where some of their most formative moments will occur. Schools have a huge impact on their health and wellbeing. And that impact should be positive. But today there is a gap between the needs of our young people and the services available. In 2024, there were 1,928 students for each school psychologist in North Carolina — nearly four times the ratio recommended by the National Association of School Psychologists. For school social workers, the ratio was also nearly four times higher than what is recommended. That's a challenge that we should address. We know that school personnel provide much needed support for students with developmental and social-emotional needs. They monitor progress, they develop prevention and intervention plans, and they help students who are in need or who are at risk of dropping out. They're on the frontlines and they are often the first responders of our youth mental health crisis. And they need our support. That was a focus of the 2025 North Carolina Child Health Report Card recently released by NC Child and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. The report card included a special section on school-based mental health including access to support staff, referral services, the connection between physical activity and mental health, and the impact of social media on mental health. And we can learn so much from this report. We should address the causes of the youth mental health crisis (from new technology to social pressures) and we should also provide support to young people who are dealing with these issues. We are encouraged by efforts to increase pay for providers, develop the mental health workforce, and improve the state's crisis system. And that more people are paying attention. The Whole Child NC Advisory Committee at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction recommends improving access to school-based health services as a statewide priority. East Carolina University has a Healthier Lives at School and Beyond program utilizing telemedicine to reduce barriers to services in rural areas. There's also the Carolina School-Based Telehealth Learning Collaborative, comprised of health care providers across the state that implement both physical and mental virtual health services in our schools. Several of our partners are raising awareness about the importance of school-based mental health services through the EarlyWell Initiative, Essentials for Childhood, and CaroNova's NC Youth Mental Health Action Plan. And we will continue to as well. We know that what happens at school can affect mental health and we need the resources to make that a positive outcome. About the North Carolina Child Health Report Card: At the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and NC Child, we are dedicated to ensuring that communities and policymakers have the best information on the issues facing our children. For nearly three decades we have partnered together to publish a Child Health Report Card. The biannual report card provides a snapshot of the health and well-being our state's children, and sheds light on the successes and challenges facing our youngest generations. This year the results were mixed. North Carolina received an 'A' for insurance coverage and a 'B' for maternal health and support. But we also received poor grades for oral health, healthy eating and active living, and education outcomes, and a failing grade for youth mental health. That's why we are speaking out about the severity of the youth mental health crisis and the opportunity we have to make a difference. Our hope is that the report card will inform leaders and policymakers across the state. The report card tells us what's working and where we need to improve so that every child can reach their full potential. And that's our goal.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Child Health Report Card Focuses on Youth Mental Health Needs
This article was originally published in EducationNC. The biannual Child Health Report Card from NC Child and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) is now available. In addition to evaluating 14 key indicators of children's health, the 2025 report includes a special section highlighting school-based mental health resources. According to a press release, the decision to focus on youth mental health was driven by worsening trends and the need for greater support services. 'We know that schools play a vital role in the lives of children,' said NCIOM President and CEO Michelle Ries. 'Schools are where children learn and where they build connections. What happens in school matters for their development and for their health.' Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter This edition's special section covers access to student mental health support staff, mental health referral services, the connection between physical activity and mental health, and social media and mental health. 'Today's youth are dealing with rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation — and what happens at school can contribute to those issues through peer pressure and bullying,' said NC Child Executive Director Erica Palmer Smith. 'However, what happens at school can also help alleviate the challenges young people face. We need to look at the factors contributing to the youth mental health crisis and how to best address them.' According to the press release, there were 1,928 students for each school psychologist in 2024. That's nearly four times the 500:1 ratio recommended by the National Association of School Psychologists. 'School psychologists, counselors, and social workers provide vital support for students with developmental, learning-based, and social-emotional needs,' said Ries. 'They are often on the frontlines when it comes to prevention, intervention, supporting students in the foster care or juvenile justice system, or helping children who are at-risk'. 'North Carolina faces a youth mental health crisis, and our school systems should be part of the solution to help address students' needs,' said Dr. Ellen Essick, section chief at NC Healthy Schools within the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. 'The solutions are less about fixing students, teachers, or our schools, and more about fixing a system that's not supporting our students, teachers, and schools satisfactorily.' The report card evaluates North Carolina on 14 indicators of child health and well-being. Those indicators fall into four broad categories: secure homes and neighborhoods, access to care, healthy births, and health risk factors. Below is a summary of the grades for each indicator, organized by category. F – Housing and economic security F – Child abuse and neglect D – Oral health F – School health C – Health services utilization and immunizations A – Insurance coverage B – Breastfeeding B – Preconception and maternal health and support F – Birth outcomes C – Teen births D – healthy eating and active living D – Tobacco, alcohol, substance use F – Mental health D – Education More details about these grades and indicators can be found in the full report. According to the press release, NC Child and NCIOM hope that the key findings in the latest report card can guide parents, decision makers, school personnel, and other child health practitioners across the state. 'What we know is that these grades — and their impact on our state's children — can change for the better,' said Smith. 'The Child Health Report Card tells us what's working and where we need to improve so that every child in North Carolina can reach their full potential.' This article first appeared on EducationNC and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC House committee approves measure to limit student cellphone use
Photo: Daniel deA bill that would require North Carolina school boards to adopt policies that either eliminate or severely limit student use of cell phones during the school day is moving in the state House of Representatives. The House Committee on Education voted to advance House Bill 87 on Tuesday. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Moore, Randolph), said limiting cell phone use 'removes distractions from kids' when they should be focused on schoolwork. 'It keeps them from playing games on their phones. It keeps them from cheating, and it helps them focus on their teachers instead of being addicted to their phones,' Jackson said. Tiffany Gladney, Senior Director of Policy and Government Relations for the advocacy group NC Child, also spoke in favor of the bill. She cited research linking increased social media use and screen time to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among teenagers. 'Although these new technologies have the potential for learning and networking, they also can negatively impact youth mental health, and that is why NC Child is here today in support of House Bill 87,' Gladney told the committee. Currently, around 77 school districts in North Carolina have their own cell phone policies, according to legislative staff. The proposed bill would require all districts to implement a policy. Newly elected state superintendent Mo Green has yet to express a position on the proposal. Last month, Green told NC Newsline that 'cell phones can be a powerful tool for expanding access to information, but they can also be a distraction for students in a classroom setting. As I begin my tenure as state superintendent, I am engaging with educators, parents, and students across our state to learn more about their experiences and opinions on this topic. After that engagement, I will offer my thoughts.' While the House bill only direct districts to restrict the use of cellphones, a stricter version in the legislature's upper chamber, Senate Bill 55, would require school boards to adopt policies that prohibit their use and along with all other wireless communication devices. The bill defines a wireless communication device as 'any portable wireless device that has the capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data communication between two or more parties,' including cellular telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, paging devices, two-way radios, and gaming devices. Opponents of the bill have argued that limiting cell phone access could prevent students from communicating in emergencies. Tech advocates contend that restricting devices could stifle new avenues for learning. The bill now moves to the Judiciary Committee. If passed, it would take effect at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
