To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing to express my strong support for the GritX mental health resource managed by mySHO and Scalable Care. GritX provides a new opportunity to address the unmet mental health needs of students in the Commonwealth. As a PA certified school psychologist, licensed psychologist and health service psychologist who is Board Certified in School Psychology, I feel especially qualified to detail why I support GritX and to explain how I see this service profiting youth in schools across the Commonwealth.
First, it is important to note that schools are the default mental health service provider for most children in the U.S. Of the children that access mental health services, 75% do so at school. Yet, there are many more students in need; it is estimated that approximately 70% of those who need help do not receive services.
Second, there is a growing mental health crisis because there is a shortage of specialists to meet the demand. The increase of child mental health disorders, which were already increasing pre-COVID – has dramatically increased.
· Female students are experiencing more violence, mental health challenges, suicidal thoughts / suicidal behaviors, & substance use than their male peers. They experience higher rates of trauma and harm where 14% of Girls experienced forced sex an increase for the first time in 10 years; 6 in 10 report feeling persistently sad or hopeless and more than 1 in 10 attempting suicide.
· In regards to LGBTQ+ students, 52% of teens report poor mental health in the past year with 1 in 5 saying they had attempted suicide.
· Among racial and ethnic groups Native American teens were the most likely to have attempted suicide in the year before, followed by Black youth, at 14%.
Third, the Commonwealth evidences a particular need to coordinate community and school partnerships to address root causes of mental health conditions.
· National date show firearms are now the number one cause of death for children and teens in the United States.
PA youth are disproportionately likely to be killed with guns
Fourth, like our students, adult mental health worsened during COVID. Teacher anxiety and burnout has been higher than other group of employees. In PA, fewer teachers are getting certified, and more are leaving the profession entirely.
Taken altogether, schools are seeing more trauma, more diverse child learners and students who require specialized supports (504 & IEPs) while the school day and dedicated staff supports stays the same. Given these realities, it is imperative to find new solutions to the challenges students face in the Commonwealth.
After a review of the resources that underlie GritX, it is my professional opinion that this platform offers an innovative approach to serving school age youth. GritX provides 24/7, evidence-based mental health support for school age (12-24) youth in a variety of languages. The platform allows for a continuum of care, where districts delivering individualized mental health support have real time feedback about the needs of the students they serve that helps them triage who needs immediate, frequent and/or ongoing support. Further, school districts can be notified about relevant happenings within the community that can impact the functioning any student in the school. General “Relevant Happening in the Community” alerts or specific “Handle with Care” notifications about an individual student are possible. The information provided is based on established MoUs and informed consent of student, parent and district all of which is FERPA and HIPPA compliant. Progress monitoring ensures the effectiveness of interventions are tracked, reviewed for individual successes, as well as adjusted when needed.
It goes without saying that AI platforms offer a new opportunity for many industries and services. The delivery of mental health services has been evaluated and indicated as an opportunity to meaningfully and successfully expand on in-person mental health support. GritX offers this opportunity to students and the Commonwealth. I recommend it without reservation.
Please let me know if I can answer any questions. Contact me at: HughesT@duq.edu.
Respectfully submitted,
Tammy L. Hughes, Ph.D., ABPP
Duquesne Professor of School Psychology
Fellow, American Psychological Association
Licensed psychologist #PS016758 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Certified school psychologist, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Board Certified in School Psychology
