A University of Northern Iowa professor spoke recently at a virtual Congressional briefing about a groundbreaking program she’s leading that could serve as a national model to help increase student access to mental health services, particularly in rural areas.
“Anxiety and depression are certainly on the rise in the adolescent population,” said Nicole Skaar, a national expert who is also coordinator for UNI’s school psychology program. “I hear on a regular basis from principals, superintendents and teachers that this is where they are struggling. We need to get students support and help.”
To address this, UNI partnered with Green Hills Area Education Area, and, later, the Prairie Lakes Area Education Area, to create a distance education program that will increase the number of school psychologists in these areas by 20% across a five-year grant period. The partnership, which serves high-need rural areas with high poverty rates and fewer options for referrals, could become a national model as schools throughout the country seek to bolster their school psychologists numbers.