Image Credit: Canva
Submitted by Nicole Ne’Sher, RN & Pediatric Researcher –
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, suicide and mental illness are at an all time high with our youth.
One startling statistic states that the suicide rate for 10 to 19 year-olds increased by 85.3% between 2007-2017. Incidentally, the iPhone was invented in 2007, making the world accessible to our youth and our youth accessible to the world!
Schools hire mental health counselors, I was trained as a mental health counselor, and while they can help, they are trained to keep certain information from parents which can be dangerous.
Texas has brought chaplains into the schools, with good results. Chaplains work with the teachers, the counselors, the parents.
13 other states are considering having chaplains in the schools. These chaplains are trained to deal with crisis situations. They are in our congress, our military, our hospitals, our prisons and places of business. Why not in schools? Why not in Tennessee schools?
Many studies show how faith is not only a protective factor against mental illness, but also a resilience factor when dealing with trauma and crisis.
Dr Lisa Miller, professor at Columbia University did a study of the efficacy of chaplains in the military. She authored the book: “The Awakened Brain: Why Spirituality Matters.”
Her research found that the suicide rate dramatically dropped by having chaplains available for military personnel. They also made better command decisions. She performed brain scans and found that those who have faith did better in combat situations than those without faith. Youth who have faith make healthier choices in life.
The National School Chaplain Association (NSCA) is ready and willing to help our youth.
If you would like more information, or want training, contact: Campuschaplains.org. The founder wrote a book: “School Chaplains: 10 Steps to a Fulfilling Career as a Certified School Chaplain. Rocky Malloy.
You can let your legislators know about this program and you would like to see it implemented here in Tennessee.
Also, another important factor in our youth’s mental health is their home life.
If you need parenting tools and resources or marriage resources contact:
Focus on the Family
1-800-A-family, focusonthefamily.com or Dr. James Dobson Family Institute 877-732-6825. drjamesdobson.org.
