Back-to-School Season Brings Renewed Focus on Student Mental Health

As Arkansas students return to the classroom, families are preparing for new routines, schedules and school-year challenges. Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness (OBHAW) is encouraging parents and guardians to also make emotional well-being part of their back-to-school preparations.

The organization offers school-based behavioral health services to students through partnerships with the Arkadelphia, Hot Springs and Malvern school districts. The program provides counseling to students from elementary school through high school, primarily during the school day.

By bringing services into schools, students can receive support in a familiar environment while families remain involved in their treatment.

The need for accessible behavioral health services remains significant. According to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement’s 100 Arkansans Project, 60 out of every 100 Arkansas public high school seniors surveyed in 2023 reported feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two consecutive weeks that they stopped participating in some of their usual activities. That figure increased by 33.1 percentage points between 2015 and 2023.

The project also found that 34 out of every 100 seniors surveyed in 2023 had seriously considered suicide during the previous year, an increase of 16.3 percentage points from 2015.

“These figures point to a sustained need that schools and families cannot overlook,” said Susan Smith, CEO of Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness. “Providing counseling in schools helps reduce barriers to care and gives students a familiar place to address challenges, build healthy coping skills and remain connected to their education.”

Lynley Billingsley, a licensed professional counselor supervisor and School-Based Services Coordinator at OBHAW, said the program allows families to seek support while minimizing some of the logistical challenges that can come with traditional appointments.

“School-based services can be a game changer for families who want help for their children but may not have the ability to attend regular appointments at a clinic,” Billingsley said. “I’ve worked in the school-based therapy program at OBHAW for a little over six years, and I’ve seen firsthand the difference it can make both at home with the families and with behavioral or emotional struggles at school.”

Families interested in the program can begin the process online through OBHAW or visit an OBHAW clinic in Hot Springs, Malvern or Arkadelphia. After the required information is submitted, a school-based therapist will contact the student’s guardian to schedule an intake appointment.

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