State Dept. of Education hires mental health adviser

Mental health in students is a topic the Indiana Department of Education is taking even more seriously this year.

        This is why State Superintendent Dr. Jennifer McCormick said to IndyPolitics that they have hired a person for a new position geared specifically for addressing and training teachers for recognizing and helping students who suffer from mental health issues.

As far as recognizing mental health problems in students, McCormick said “there are no yellow flags”, meaning sometimes students who act out are simply looked over as having problems with behavior.

She said just because a student is just misbehaving doesn’t mean that it isn’t a sign of a deeper problem going on within the child’s psyche. McCormick adds the new specialist hired by the state will help schools tell the difference.