FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 15, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n
STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Tarleton State University\u2019s Center for Child Well-being is ahead of the latest advisory<\/a> from the U.S. Surgeon General calling for swift action to curb the growing mental health crisis among America\u2019s youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Created in 2019, the center offers direct pediatric mental and behavioral health services to North Central Texas families through partnerships with eight rural school districts and provides specialized training to future practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Surgeon General\u2019s report \u2014 issued last week \u2014 outlines recommendations for families, educators and schools, and media and technology companies to improve the mental health of children, adolescents and young adults worsened by the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cResearch and data signaled an increase in youth mental health challenges even before COVID-19,\u201d says Dr. Stephanie Robertson, Director of the Tarleton Center for Child Well-being and Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences. \u201cLimited access to specialized mental health resources doesn\u2019t help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Erath County has been designated a Health Service Provider Shortage Area by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since 1990. Federal statistics show that 24 percent of the county population lives below the poverty level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, many area young people lack healthcare coverage and are directed to the Fort Worth-Dallas area for psychological evaluations. Waitlists can exceed a year, Robertson said. \u201cThat\u2019s too long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ratio of mental health providers to Erath County residents is 1 to 78, and most area school districts are too small to employ full-time psychologists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen complicated psychological profiles emerge in their students, prolonged difficulties often follow,\u201d she said. \u201cAs Surgeon General (Vivek) Murthy points out in his advisory, the best way to reduce the impact of mental health disorders is to identify and treat them early.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s the reason Tarleton stepped up two years ago to develop a multidisciplinary center to provide low-cost consultation and psychological and behavioral health evaluations to Erath County families with school-aged children. More than 100 families have tapped into the Center for Child Well-being since 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In collaboration with the departments of Psychological Services, Social Work, Educational Diagnostics and Counseling, the center also offers parent support along with evidence-based therapy for young children with disruptive behavior disorders; psycho-educational workshops for local businesses, educators and medical providers; and opportunities for student interns to receive true-to-career experience as mental health clinicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A licensed psychologist and licensed specialist in school psychology, Dr. Robertson is adamant that more must be done in rural Texas communities to address America\u2019s youth mental health emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a 2020 report by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, more than half a million Texas children and adolescents have severe mental health needs, but only 20 percent receive specialized care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can do more, and we must do more,\u201d Dr. Robertson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarleton\u2019s President, Dr. James Hurley, agrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are committed to creating an innovative, prevention-focused ecosystem where all children in our region are supported and provided services for emerging and existing mental health needs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To that end, Tarleton is expanding its health sciences and human services degree offerings, including a PhD in counseling (pending approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board), and moving the Center for Child Well-being into a larger, state-of-the-art facility on the Stephenville campus in early spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Efforts are ongoing to develop free, online continuing education opportunities to increase mental and behavioral health resources for public educators and to reduce any barriers to access for care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur goal is to become not only\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0premier comprehensive regional university in Texas but in the nation,\u201d President Hurley said. \u201cFor that to happen, we\u00a0must\u00a0<\/em>address the most pressing need in our region \u2014 increased access to quality physical and mental healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWednesday, December 15, 2021 STEPHENVILLE, Texas \u2014 Tarleton State University\u2019s Center for Child Well-being is ahead of the latest advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General calling for swift action to 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