Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Grand Jury says Ventura County schools need to do more to help address student mental health issues

A new Ventura County Grand Jury report says more can be done to support the mental health of students in the county's public schools.
Ümit Bulut
/
Unsplash
A new Ventura County Grand Jury report says more can be done to support the mental health of students in the county's public schools.

Ventura County Grand Jury report says campus wellness centers, and adding more mental health professionals will help.

A new Ventura County Grand Jury report says the county’s schools need to do more to address the mental health concerns of students.

The report cites statistics from a study showing that one in six middle and high school students in Ventura County at one point contemplated suicide.

High schools in Oxnard and the Conejo Valley have been running pilot wellness centers for students. The report says the programs are making an impact, and should be expanded to all high schools in the county by June of 2024.

The Grand Jury notes there are 72 mental health professionals working on the county’s 190 public school campuses. It says that number is low, and more are needed. It also says that the Ventura County Office of Education, and school districts need to do more to get available Med-Cal dollars for school based mental health services.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
Related Stories
  • One in three high school students across the U.S. have reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. In the decade leading up to 2019 suicide rates went up 57% among teens and young adults.That’s according to a Surgeon General report which says young people are experiencing a mental health crisis.I wanted to find out if these grim statistics were being reflected locally. Sadly the answer is yes. I had no idea how bad it was.In this episode of The One Oh One, the state of youth mental health on California’s Central, South Coast, why this is happening and those trying to help.