ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — Mental health has become a top priority at Woodland Hills School District, as educators and lawmakers push for stronger support systems following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There has been a lot more trauma, psychological and emotional concerns our students have,” said Superintendent Dr. Joe Maluchnik. “I think having programs in place and support in place is critical.”
The district is not just focusing on students and staff, but also on families who may not know where to turn for help.
“Sometimes, having that support, they may not know how to find it, so we bring some of those organizations to them,” Maluchnik said.
State Rep. Napoleon Nelson, D-Montgomery County, is working to expand these kinds of efforts across Pennsylvania. He’s proposing legislation that would require all 500 public school districts to create a comprehensive mental health plan as just one piece of a package of bills.
“One of the pieces of legislation effectively codifies student trauma as a record as part of the health record because mental health is health,” Nelson said. “It just makes sense.”
By including trauma in a student’s health record, educators and support staff would be better equipped to provide timely interventions and prioritize services throughout a student’s time in the public school system.
“It creates such a hurdle and obstacle to the ability to learn and be present in class or present in the lunchroom,” Nelson said. “The ability to have those meaningful student interactions is affected.”
Maluchnik said he welcomes the idea, noting it would reinforce the mental health work already underway in Woodland Hills.
“If we don’t take care of our kids socially and emotionally, we can’t do the things we want to do academically,” he said.
Rep. Nelson is currently finalizing the language of the proposed bills with members of the House Education Committee and expects to introduce the legislative package in the coming weeks.
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