Untrained staff and teachers are being forced into the role of medical and mental health provider at great risk to themselves, our children and the district. Administrators, teachers and classified staff are not medical or mental professionals and forcing them into this position is a liability to our community and the district.
For the past 6 years LAUSD has continually cut student’s on-campus access to medical treatment and psychological care by voting again and again to minimize the presence of school nurses and psychologists in direct opposition to medical profession and mental health guidelines.
The National Association of School Nurses recommends a formula-based approach with minimum ratios of nurses-to-students depending on the needs of the student populations as follows: 1:750 for students in the general population, 1:225 in the student populations requiring daily professional school nursing services or interventions, 1:125 in student populations with complex health care needs, and 1:1 may be necessary for individual students who require daily and continuous professional nursing services.
The statistics for psychological counselor per student ratio recommended by The American Counseling Association is 250:1 but California is more than double than the rest of the nation at 814:1. Having a psychologist on staff enables a cooperative approach to full health and well being for students and families. We need these trained professionals on site to monitor our students at all times. There is no better security than ongoing relationships and preventative medicine.
We call on LAUSD to truly honor their commitment to the safety and welfare of the children entrusted to their care by reinstating full-time nurses and psychologists at every school in the district.
Using school nurses and psychologists as a means to save money for the district is irresponsible, hypocritical and needs to stop immediately!
Bring back the school nurses and psychologists now!