SAN JOSE, CA (October 19, 2021) – “The new report issued today by the U.S. Department of Education is a welcome step in raising our national consciousness around how the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a serious toll on the mental health of the nation’s youth. We’re encouraged to see that the Department’s report largely echoes the findings and recommendations published by SVLG last month in our report examining how Bay Area schools are addressing the underlying stressors and concerns facing local youth,” said Sara Garcia, Director of Education & Workforce Development at SVLG. “The recent investment in the mental health of our youth demands significant responsibility, and it is incumbent upon our schools and service providers to be good stewards of public dollars intended to support the needs of the most vulnerable in our community. Our members remain committed to helping to advance innovative solutions to support and advance the health, wellness and education needs of today’s youth.”
In September, SVLG released a report entitled Staying in the Moment: How Schools are Supporting Mental Health as Students Return to In-Person Learning. In the report, SVLG identified recommendations by clinical mental health experts and showcased key actions that Bay Area schools have taken to date to address the underlying stressors and concerns facing local youth. The SVLG report was compiled from interviews with local school representatives from June 2021 to August 2021. It contains feedback from districts across the Bay Area that serve nearly 100,000 students every day. This included multiple Bay Area school districts as well as charter school networks. Overall, the report found that local school districts are investing increased funding in three key areas:
- Third-party organizations to connect families to specialized care
- Proactive investments in social-emotional curriculum
- More teacher training to support student mental health need
To read the full report from SVLG, please click here.
About SVLG:
Silicon Valley Leadership group is California’s most dynamic business association. Building on four decades of success in championing the solutions that make Silicon Valley the best place to work and live, we promote solutions focused on fostering business competitiveness and the region’s innovation ecosystem. Collectively, SVLG members provide nearly one of every three private sector jobs in Silicon Valley and contribute more than $3 trillion to the worldwide economy each year. For more information, please visit svlg.org.
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