NEW YORK (AP) — Darry Oliver was in fifth grade when she first talked to her mom about seeing a therapist.
She was living with her brother in Georgia while her mother was in New York looking for a job and an apartment to support the family. It was a difficult year. Oliver, now 17, was feeling depressed. A school employee raised the idea of a therapist.
Oliver's mother, also named Derry Oliver, questioned the school's assessment and did not consent to therapy. “You're too young,” the mother recalled thinking. “There is nothing wrong with you. These are growing pains.”
The issue heated up again during the COVID-19 pandemic when little Oliver, struggling with the isolation of remote learning, reached out to her Brooklyn high school for help. School-based mental health professionals such as social workers can provide some counseling without parental permission. But in New York, referring a student for more intensive therapy almost always requires parental consent. In Oliver's case, this led to more conflict.
“It was very emotional for both of us because I understood her frustration and fear,” the younger Oliver recalled. “But at the same time, sometimes it's best for your child to be able to access it rather than keeping it away from them.”
As schools across the country react to a youth mental health crisis Due to the pandemic, many are facing difficult legal, ethical, and practical challenges of involving parents in treatment. The issue has become politicized, with some states trying to streamline access as conservative politicians elsewhere propose further restrictions, accusing schools of trying to under-educate students and excluding parents. Are.
Differing viewpoints on mental health are nothing new for parents and children, but more conflicts are emerging as young people become more comfortable talking openly about mental health and treatment becomes more readily available. Is. Schools have also invested pandemic relief money in hiring more mental health specialists Telehealth and online consultation To reach more and more students.
“It's such an isolation,” said Chelsea Trout, a social worker at a charter school in Brooklyn. “All the kids are on TikTok or on the internet and understand the thing about therapy and that it's something that can be helpful for their mental health and are interested in it, but they don't get explicit consent from their parents. “
Research shows that obtaining parental permission may be a critical barrier For teens accessing treatment.
Access to therapy may be especially important LGBTQ+ youth, who are significantly more likely than their peers to attempt suicide, and whose parents are not aware of or accepting of their sexual orientations or gender identity. Jessica Chock-Goldman, a social worker at Bard Early College High School in Manhattan, said she has seen many cases where mental health problems become severe because teens don't get access to therapy earlier.
“Many children will be hospitalized with suicidal thoughts or intentions because preventive actions were not successful,” he said.
The question of when young people can consent to mental health treatment is receiving increasing attention from policy makers. California and states like colorado Recently the age of consent for treatment has been reduced to 12. But this issue has gained momentum in some states like North Carolina. big political debates Regarding parental input on the curriculum and the rights of transgender students.
There's also a big hurdle outside the law: Therapy is rarely free, and often requires parental support to pay for it or submitting an insurance claim.
Teens in New York can consent to treatment starting at age 16, and a provision allows doctors to authorize treatment for younger children if they deem it to be in their best interests. But there are some caveats: Consent laws only apply in state-licensed outpatient settings, and they don't extend to prescription drugs.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced a partnership with platform Talkspace to provide free online counseling to all teens in the city through a program called NYC TeenSpace. According to the program's website, it does not demand insurance, but requires parental consent “except in special circumstances.”
For Oliver and his mother, years of conversation have led to some progress, but not as much access to therapy as little Oliver would like.
Several years ago, the Olivers agreed to a deal. They found a black female therapist, who was important to both of them as a black family. The elder Oliver has felt the sting of being called “offensive” for expressing normal sentiments as a black woman, and has had negative experiences with therapists and depression medications, which she says helped her Feels like a “zombie”.
The elder Oliver agreed that his daughter could begin therapy – as long as she sat in on the sessions. But the therapist changed jobs after about a month, and Oliver has not seen another therapist since.
The elder Oliver said of a potential therapist for his daughter, “It has to be someone trustworthy.”
Trout, a Brooklyn charter school social worker, said she has encountered many parents who, like Oliver, don't trust school recommendations, and wonder if their children are succeeding academically and socially. So why would they need therapy?
“If we're thinking primarily about Black and brown communities, if your interactions with social workers or mental health services or anything in that area so far haven't been positive,” she said, “you're talking to your kids. How can we trust them?”
The statistics show a racial divide. In 2021, 14% of white children reported seeing a therapist at some point during that year, compared to 9% of Black children, 8% of Hispanic children, and only 3% of Asian American children. survey From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Without access to therapy, young Oliver seeks advice about managing his emotions from friends, school social workers, and through the Internet. But she is confident that with continued professional help she can do much more.
Oliver has already been accepted into several colleges – which makes his mom very proud – and he's considering his options for next year.
One thing she's considering: how much access they provide to physicians.
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