Increased School Counselor Staffing Could Lead To Earlier Intervention

Before things get to the point of expulsion, the school usually has had numerous interactions with a student. Janet Pozmantier is with the Center for School Behavioral Health, and said early intervention is key, and that means increased staffing.

“Counselors are so busy with academic concerns they are unable to provide mental health counseling to students. But that all goes back up to the willingness or our state legislature to allocate the resources necessary.”

Pozmantier advocates treating physical and mental health care with equal importance.

“Marrying traditional medicine with mental health care all in the same setting — early identification, early intervention is key, and that’s what a school-based clinic could do.”

The man accused of killing 17 in a Florida high school is a former student who had been expelled for disciplinary reasons.