Aug 14, 2017, Brooklyn Daily Eagle: 5 school health clinics in Brooklyn saved for one more year https://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2017/8/14/5-school-health-clinics-brooklyn-saved-one-more-year After 10 days of determined advocacy from parents, nurses, school administrators and elected officials, SUNY Downstate reversed its decision to close five School Based Health Centers (SBHCs) serving more than 4,000 students in Brooklyn when school opens in September. Despite a looming cut in state funding, last week Downstate informed the principals at the schools located in Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and East New York that it will not be making any changes to its school based programs as it begins the academic year. Downstate made no commitment to keep the clinics open after the end of next year, however…. These SBHCs receive several thousand medical visits each year, including preventive and primary care, reproductive health care, emergency care, mental health and more. ... “The clinic at M.S. 51 treats chronically ill students requiring mandated Section 504 services and responds to students in need of emergency medical care. In addition to our nurse practitioner, the clinic also provides a full-time social worker who cares for the social and emotional needs of many of our middle schoolers,” they said.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.