>> SENATE MAJORITY LEADER, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> IN EDUCATION, A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL THERAPISTS IS PLAGUING DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FOR STUDENTS SURGE.

SEEING THE NEED, EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS IN WISCONSIN ARE FINDING WAYS TO BRIDGE THE GAP.

STEVEN POTTER HAS MORE.

>> I THINK EVERY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WOULD LOVE TO HAVE PRINCIPAL WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

>> DESPITE H AVING A HANDFUL OF PSYCHOLOGIST, A PSYCHOLOGIST AND SOCIAL WORKER ON STAFF, ANDY FARLEY, PRINCIPAL OF BROOKFIELD EAST HIGH SCHOOL, SAYS THEY STILL HAVE TROUBLE MEETING THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF THEIR 1,400 STUDENTS.

>> IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE ENOUGH.

>> FARLEY KNOWS FIRSTHAND HOW DEVASTATING STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS CAN BECOME.

A FEW YEARS BACK, A NUMBER OF STUDENTS AT BROOKFIELD EAST HIGH SCHOOL DIED FROM SUICIDE.

>> INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.

INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AT OUR SCHOOL LEVEL, INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AT OUR COMMUNITY LEVEL.

WE ALL KNEW WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING.

>> Reporter: THEY CREATED A LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL STUDENT LED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT NETWORK CALLED THE HOPE SQUAD.

>> DOES ANYONE WANT TO SHARE ABOUT SOME OF THE POSITIVES?

>> Reporter: ON A WEEKLY BASIS, THESE SCHOOL'S 60 STUDENT MEMBERS DISCUSS NEW STRATEGIES TO HELP THEIR CLASSMATES STAY MENTALLY HEALTHY, FROM THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP AND SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL LEARNING TECHNIQUES TO RECOGNIZING SUICIDE WARNING SIGNS.

BROOKFIELD EAST SOPHOMORE, LEDRA ASHENBRENNER, IS A HOPE SQUAD MEMBER.

>> FROM A STUDENT ST ANDPOINT, WE ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF THE SCHOOL.

WE BRIDGE THE GAP BE TWEEN STUDENTS AND CI COUNCILORS AND STUDENTS AND TEACHERS BECAUSE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GO TO THEIR PEERS IF THEE HAVING AN ISSUE THAT THEY NEED HELP WITH.

>> 20% OF KIDS HAVE SOME TYPE OF BEHAVIORAL OR SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL CONCERN.

>> Reporter: KATIE EKLUND IS A PROFESSOR OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY AT UW-MADISON.

>> OUT OF THAT GROUP, ONLY 20% OF THOSE KIDS ACTUALLY RECEIVE THAT SUPPORT.

>> Reporter: SHE WORKS TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE INCREASING RATES OF YOUNG CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, INCLUDING THOSE HARMING THEMSELVES OR CONSIDERING SUICIDE.

>> WE SEE OFTEN BY THE TIME KIDS GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, WE SEE KIDS NOT COMING TO SCHOOL, WE SEE LOWER GRADES, WE SEE HIGHER INCIDENTS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND JUST LOWER, POOR PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES THROUGHOUT LIFE.

>> Reporter: EKLUND SAYS THAT CHILDREN AREN'T GETTING THE HELP THEY NEED BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, SUCH AS THERAPISTS, COUNSELORS AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, 7% OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAY MORE SCHOOLS ARE SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BUT 87% OF THOSE SCHOOLS SAY THEY CAN'T PROVIDE SUCH SERVICE TO ALL OF THE STUDENTS IN NEED.

EKLUND AND HER COLLEAGUES, HOWEVER, HAVE A PLAN AND NEW RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THIS SHORTAGE WITH A $10 MILLION GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

>> IT'S DESIGNED TO DECREASE THE PIPELINE OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS WHO ARE WORKING IN K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

>> SHE SAYS THE NEED SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

>> IN 2018, WE HAD 6 0 TO 70 UNFILLED POSITIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS.

WE ANTICIPATE THAT COUNSELORS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR SHOARNLINGS, BOTH HERE IN THE STATE AND IN THE COUNTRY AND THAT THOSE SHORTAGES HAVE ONLY INCREASED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

>> WHILE EVERYONE FROM SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES AGREE THAT MORE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE NEEDED IN SCHOOLS, THEY WOULD STILL NEED TO BE PAID, AND THAT'S WHERE THE STATE LEGISLATURE CAN COME IN.

DEMOCRATIC STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROBYN VINING HAS INTRODUCED A PACKAGE OF BILLS AIMED AT INCREASING IF YOU C FUNDING FORH 12.

>> WE KNOW THERE'S A MENTAL HEALTHCARE CRISIS.

WE KNOW THAT.

AND SO WE CANNOT LOOK AWAY.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD RIGHT NOW WITHOUT ACTING ON MENTAL HEALTHCARE.

>> Reporter: ONE OF THE BILLS WOULD INCREASE SPENDING ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN THE STATE'S SCHOOL SYSTEM BY $100 MILLION PER YEAR.

>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, SUICIDALLITY, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET PROFESSIONALS TO BE AVAILABLE TO WORK WITH THEM, TO HELP THEM SURVIVE THIS VERY DIFFICULT STAGE OF LIFE.

>> Reporter: AND SO, AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL, WISCONSIN IS WORKING TO RESPOND TO THE GROWING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF ITS YOUNGEST POPULATIONS.

REPORTING FOR HERE AND NOW, FROM BROOKFIELD, I'M STEVEN POTTER.

>> IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW NEEDS MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, DIAL 9-8-8 FOR THE WISCONSIN SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE.

FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN.ORG