Dr. Myleme Ojinga Harrison on Proactive Mental Healthcare: How Schools Can Catch Kids Before the Crisis

Mental health concerns among children and teens are rising, and schools are under pressure. Teachers report more students feeling anxiety, depression, and distress, but most don’t get help until they’re in crisis. This reactive approach leaves students unsupported and adds strain on educators and families. Delayed care leads to worse outcomes and more complex interventions.

Dr. Myleme Ojinga Harrison, a leader in youth mental health, advocates for a better way — making emotional support part of daily school life. Early, ongoing support helps students thrive and builds a culture of emotional wellness.

The Problem with Crisis-Only Mental Health Response

When a student lashes out, shuts down, or stops participating, schools often respond with referrals or discipline. But by that point, the student has already been struggling for a while. This crisis-first model doesn’t work. It leads to lower grades, broken trust, and long-term mental health issues.

The delay makes things harder for everyone. Students suffer longer, while families scramble to find help. Teachers, already overwhelmed, are left to manage without enough assistance. If a child were falling behind in math, schools would act right away. Mental health deserves the same urgency.

Early support and prevention lead to better results. But many schools still don’t have the staff, training, or systems to make proactive care a reality.

Why Schools Are the Front Line for Youth Mental Health

Children spend the majority of their day in school, making it one of the most logical environments for early intervention. Teachers and school staff are often the first to notice emotional changes in students. They might see a once-engaged student grow quiet, a child be more irritable or combative, or another who often seems distracted or tired.

These behaviors are sometimes misinterpreted as defiance or disengagement, when they are actually early indicators of anxiety, depression, trauma, or other mental health concerns. But most schools are not equipped to address these challenges beyond behavior management.

Educators are not trained clinicians, and school counselors are often responsible for hundreds of students. The result is a system that identifies mental health concerns but lacks the capacity to respond in meaningful or timely ways.

With training, partnerships, and school-wide efforts, mental wellness can be incorporated in the culture, helping schools prevent issues, not just respond to them.

Building Partnerships Between Clinicians and Educators

Mental health support in schools improves significantly when educators and clinical professionals work together. Educators are well-positioned to observe patterns and initiate early discussions, while clinicians provide the expertise and structure needed for effective care.

School partnerships with mental health professionals can train staff, improve referrals, and create more emotionally supportive classrooms. Individual and group-based on-site counseling can address concerns before they escalate. When clinicians are integrated into daily school life, students begin to view them as part of the educational community rather than as emergency responders.

That’s where partnerships with mental health professionals come in.

Together, you and your clinical partners can:

• Identify early signs of emotional distress
• Build classrooms that promote emotional safety
• Create clear, accessible referral pathways
• Offer in-school counseling and group sessions
• Respond quickly and compassionately when concerns arise

The more visible and involved mental health professionals are in your school, the more trust they build with students. Kids begin to view them as their support system and not someone they’re sent to see when they’re in trouble.

The most effective support systems are not isolated or reactive. They are proactive, embedded, and trusted by students, educators, and families alike.

Dr. Harrison’s Vision for Proactive, Everyday Mental Health Support

Dr. Harrison emphasizes the need to treat mental health care with the same consistency and importance as academic instruction. His clinical model incorporates emotional support into the daily rhythm of school life. This ensures mental wellness is a visible, ongoing educational experience, not an emergency response.

The model includes staffing schools with dedicated mental health professionals and implementing regular emotional check-ins for students. It also involves teaching emotional regulation as a core aspect of the curriculum. 

In the classroom, students learn to identify and express their feelings using shared language and simple strategies. Designated spaces, like calm rooms or reset zones, offer a supportive place to de-escalate and return to learning without stigma or disruption.

Rather than crisis management, Dr. Harrison encourages schools to meet students where they are. Such an approach recognizes that emotional development is fundamental to long-term academic and social success.

Practical Steps for School Districts to Implement Change

Schools don’t have to start from scratch. Small, strategic changes can make a big impact. These are some practical steps districts can take now:

1. Train Educators in Mental Health First Aid

Help teachers recognize signs of anxiety, trauma, or emotional overload and respond with compassion, not punishment.

2. Hire Dedicated School-Based Clinicians

Bring licensed therapists, counselors, or social workers directly into schools. Prioritize access over crisis-only care.

3. Build Community Partnerships

Partner with local mental health providers, nonprofits, and advocacy groups to expand services and share resources.

4. Create Stigma-Free Zones

Promote emotional openness through posters, peer groups, and inclusive language. Let students know it’s okay to ask for help.

5. Include Families in the Conversation

Host workshops or info sessions that equip parents to support their child’s mental health and build bridges between home and school.

6. Track More Than Just Grades

Monitor trends in behavior, emotional regulation, and stress. Use this data to inform policy and prioritize funding.

Policy and Funding Shifts to Support This Work

To make mental health support in schools sustainable and widely available, long-term funding and strong policy backing are essential. The following actions could make a significant impact on students:

• Expand Medicaid coverage for school-based mental health services to increase funding and reach.
• Use state and federal grants to fund wellness programs, hire clinical staff, and implement proven interventions.
• Incorporate emotional wellness into academic mandates to prioritize it alongside grades and test scores.
• Offer financial incentives to help schools pilot new clinical models and adopt integrated care systems.
• Push for policy changes at every level to improve care access, quality, and equity across school districts.
• Build systemic solutions so all schools can offer proactive care.

With effective policies and sufficient funding, schools can build care systems that reach and help every student.

A Call for Community Action 

Proactive mental health care should be a core part of every school. Whether you’re a teacher, policymaker, or advocate, you have the power to shift the system. The time for change is now. Take the first step by partnering with mental health professionals to bring accessible, stigma-free support into schools.

To learn how you can help build proactive, sustainable systems that prioritize student wellness, connect with Dr. Harrison today.