Chapter 6: Fostering Trauma-informed Teachers Within a Regional Community of Practice

Mental health challenges have been rising to the forefront in the public and private sectors in recent years. Data reported nationally are hard to ignore and signal the need for attention, advocacy, and systems-wide collaborative efforts to support those struggling through mental illness, including depression and thoughts of suicide. In 2016, 16.5% of U.S. youth aged 6–17 experienced a mental health disorder (i.e., weighted estimate of 7.7 million youth) whereas only 50.6% of that population received treatment (National Alliance on Mental Illness- NAMI, 2023). Likewise, NAMI reported a 31% increase in mental health-related emergency department visits in 2020. In terms of youth ages 12–17 receiving treatment of mental health challenges, only 17.3% received treatment in a specialty setting, 15% received mental health services in a non-specialty setting (i.e., most often in an education setting), and an additional 6.9% received services through a combination of both. These statistics show how only a portion of those in need have accessed a qualified service. When looking at the connection to mental health challenges, namely depression and suicide risk, it is important to note that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10–14 and the 3rd leading cause of death among those aged 15–24 in the U.S (NAMI, 2023). Additionally, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported the following statistics among U.S. adolescents (ages 12–17): 1 in 6 experienced a major depressive episode; 3 million had serious thoughts of suicide; and 629,000 attempted suicide (2021). For those of us in both the pre-service and in-service education field, these data are alarming as they hit close to home.