Better access to mental health services could improve safety in Pennsylvania schools, according to a state task force report posted online last week.
The report recommends expanding the use of existing mental health programs and finding better ways to inform parents and students about what is currently available. It also calls for bolstering the physical security of school buildings and improving communication and training for teachers and other personnel.
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, who led the task force along with the governor, said that he does not believe that all schools in his state are making mental health counselors available to every student who needs them, and that there is a particular need for those services among the poorest districts.
