Davis County to hold mental health screening for children from preschool to 6th grade
Oct 22, 2024, 5:00 PM
The Davis County Health Department, Davis Behavioral Health and other community partners host an annual mental health screening twice a year -- one for elementary ages and another for secondary. (Mike Anderson, KSL TV)
(Mike Anderson, KSL TV)
LAYTON — If you believe that children in preschool and elementary school do not experience mental health struggles — including thoughts of suicide — think again.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic and Utah’s many county health departments have been aware of this phenomenon for some time. For example, the CDC reports, based on data from before the pandemic, 35% of children between the ages of 3 and 5 were in a treatment program or seeing a counselor. As such they encouraged health professionals to address the mental health struggles of everyone in their communities — including young children.
The staff at the Davis County Health Department, Davis Behavioral Health and other community partners have joined together to do just that. They host an annual mental health screening twice a year — one for elementary ages and another for secondary — where parents come with their children to meet with a therapist and discover how to get the help needed.
“If we can help one family who is struggling … then it is worth our time,” said Teresa Smith, community outreach planner for the Davis County Health Department. She is also the organizer of the mental health screening events. “Since 2012, access to behavioral health resources has been the main issue for families. Helping that one person or family … is what we need.”
On Oct. 29, Davis County will hold its mental health screening specifically for children from preschoolers to sixth grade. The organizers have made it a habit to listen to the needs of the community. When parents asked if their preschool children could also be a part of the screening, they added this age group to the list of those to be served.
Davis County youth mental health screening
- Who: Children ages preschool to sixth grade
- Where: Davis Behavioral Health, 934 S. Main in Layton
- When: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 4-7 p.m.
- To do: Visit dbhutah.org/screening to register for a time to see a therapist
- More info: Todo está disponible en español también. Everything is available in Spanish, also.
Read the full story from KSL.com here.
