Access to Mental Health at School-Based Clinics
Mar 21, 2025
Young people in King County have been in need of more access to mental health services in a time when the Surgeon General has declared youth mental health a public health crisis, as reported by the Public Health Insider, the blog for Public Health Seattle King County. “There was a mental health crisis as students came back to school in the wake of COVID,” said Noir Goldberg, a 2024 graduate of Ballard High School and former executive board member of the Seattle Student Union. “So many students were suffering but were having a hard time finding a therapist in their community because of steep demand.” The Student Union advocated for an expansion of mental health services, which includes hiring new therapists. When students can get the health services they need, their well-being and school participation benefits. These health centers extend throughout King County, including 38 clinics in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Young people in King County have been in need of more access to mental health services in a time when the Surgeon General has declared youth mental health a public health crisis, as reported by the Public Health Insider, the blog for Public Health Seattle King County. “There was a mental health crisis as students came back to school in the wake of COVID,” said Noir Goldberg, a 2024 graduate of Ballard High School and former executive board member of the Seattle Student Union. “So many students were suffering but were having a hard time finding a therapist in their community because of steep demand.” The Student Union advocated for an expansion of mental health services, which includes hiring new therapists. When students can get the health services they need, their well-being and school participation benefits. These health centers extend throughout King County, including 38 clinics in elementary, middle, and high schools.