Schools Need to Address the Mental Health Crisis. Here's How According to this Black Educator.

As an educator in New York City public schools and a Black feminist scholar, I’ve witnessed countless moments where students’ unspoken struggles overshadow their potential. One day stands out vividly: a bright, energetic student in my ESL class suddenly grew silent and withdrawn. He began missing school, stopped raising his hand in class, and once whispered to me, “I just don’t feel like I’m here anymore, I’m tired.” He was just eight years old. His words were a stark reminder of an escalating crisis: our schools are not equipped to address the mental health needs of their students, particularly Black and Brown youth. Especially these youth whose Home Language is a language other than English.

The Crisis at Hand

In recent years, youth mental health has reached a tipping point. Let’s be real — youth mental health is in crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports alarming increases in depression, anxiety, and suicide rates among children and adolescents. Black youth, in particular, are experiencing disproportionate spikes in suicide rates, yet they are often overlooked in conversations about mental health. I am saddened to report that I have had a few people close to me succumb to suicide.

Systemic inequities exacerbate these issues. Black and Brown students face the compounded effects of economic instability, racial trauma, and underfunded schools. These factors create environments where mental health needs go unnoticed or unaddressed, leaving students to bear emotional burdens that profoundly affect their ability to learn and thrive, and just be kids.

Why Schools Must Step Up

For many students, schools are the primary point of contact with adults outside their families. Teachers, administrators, and staff often witness the early warning signs of mental health struggles. Yet, without adequate resources, training, or support, they are left helpless to intervene meaningfully. It is also important to note many adults have suppressed their mental health issues themselves making it increasingly difficult to witness and support students holistically.

Traditional disciplinary approaches — suspensions, expulsions, or labeling students as “problematic” — only deepen the harm. Names mean things. Naming makes students feel a way in the learning space. These practices disproportionately target Black and Brown students, reinforcing cycles of alienation and neglect. Trauma-informed education provides a pathway to disrupt these cycles by addressing students’ needs holistically.

What Trauma-Informed Schools Look Like

Trauma-informed schools prioritize safety, understanding, and healing. Here’s how we can make this vision a reality, albeit a start:

1. Safe Spaces for Students

• Schools must create physical and emotional safe spaces where students can process their feelings without fear of judgment. This could include dedicated wellness rooms staffed with trained professionals where students can step away when overwhelmed. If there are not enough resources, consider asking staff to rotate or dedicate a period to let students partake in activities of healing, like coloring, listening to soft music and etc.

  
  

2. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

• SEL isn’t some fluffy extra. Integrating SEL into curricula equips students with tools to identify and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, and develop resilience. This isn’t just an “extra” — it’s foundational to learning. It is a best practice to begin the day with some form of SEL, if programming issues get in the way of SEL in the morning, it is still a good idea to implement it at the end of the day so students can go home with the last thoughts of the day being centered in this energy of healing.

3. Staff Training

• Teachers and staff need training to spot signs of trauma and respond with empathy instead of punishment. And let’s not ignore the role of bias — educators need tools to check their own assumptions about students. As an educator in a school struggling with funding and resources, I am pushing myself to think and create solutions beyond fiscal materials.

4. Accessible Mental Health Services

• Schools must employ more counselors, psychologists, and social workers to address mental health needs directly. Partnerships with local mental health organizations can extend these resources further.

5. Community Engagement

• Families and communities are critical partners in supporting students’ mental health. Schools should host workshops and forums to engage caregivers in understanding trauma and mental health and fostering healing environments at home.

  
  

Centering Equity in Mental Health

Addressing the youth mental health crisis requires us to center equity. Black and Brown students’ experiences with racial trauma, economic hardship, and cultural marginalization must inform how we design and implement mental health initiatives. This means:

• Hiring mental health professionals who reflect the racial and cultural identities of the students they serve.

• Incorporating culturally sustaining practices into SEL and mental health programs.

• Advocating for policy changes that allocate more funding to under-resourced schools.

  
  

A Call to Action

This isn’t just about education — it’s about survival. A school that ignores mental health ignores its students. To truly support learning, we have to reimagine schools as places where kids feel seen, safe, and supported — not just academically but emotionally.

I think back to that eight-year-old student. Thanks to a compassionate teacher and a more understanding classroom environment, he started to come back to himself. He’s proof that when we prioritize mental health, we give kids the tools to reclaim their futures.

Now is the time to step up! Educators, policymakers, and communities have to work together to transform schools into spaces that nurture not just the mind, but the whole child. Our kids deserve nothing less.