VOA教育报道2024--Schools Want More Therapy for Students, Not All Parents Agree

Schools Want More Therapy for Students, Not All Parents Agree

　　Derry Oliver was in fifth grade when she first talked to her mother about seeing a therapist.

　　They were moving to New York City. Derry had to live with family members in another state while her mother, also named Derry Oliver, found a job and apartment. (In this story, we will call the daughter by her first name, Derry, and her mother by her family name, Oliver.)

　　It was a difficult year. A school worker suggested therapy. Derry's mother questioned the advice and disagreed with therapy.

　　"You're so young. There's nothing wrong with you. These are growing pains," Oliver told her daughter.

　　However, Derry's depression got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. She struggled with the loneliness of at-home learning. She reached out to her high school for help.

　　In New York, school-based mental health professionals like social workers can provide some counseling without parental¹ permission. But therapy requires a parent's agreement.

　　"It was very emotional for both of us because I understood her frustrations³ and fears," Derry remembered. "But at the same time, it's sometimes best for your child to be able to access this rather than hold it away from them."

　　Difficulties in getting therapy

　　Using federal money from the pandemic, schools around the U.S. have employed more mental health specialists. They also add telehealth and online counseling to reach as many students as possible.

　　As treatments have become more readily available and more young people talk openly about mental health issues, schools are now facing difficulties in getting parents to agree to treatment.

　　Chelsea Trout⁴ is studying social work at New York University and is doing her training at a school in Brooklyn. She called it a "disconnect" between parents and children.

　　"The kids are all on TikTok or the internet and understand therapy-speak and that this is something that could be helpful for their mental health and are interested in...," said Trout. But she added that they may not have support from their parents.

　　Politics can also play a part. Some states are looking to make getting therapy without parental permission easier while others are proposing more restrictions⁵.

　　The states of California and Colorado have recently lowered the age of consent for treatment to 12. But in some states like North Carolina, the issue is part of larger political debates on the input⁶ parents can have on school teachings as well as the rights of transgender students.

　　Cost is another issue. Therapy is rarely free. And paying for it often requires parental support.

　　Parental support

　　Research suggests that the need for parental permission can keep young people from getting treatment.

　　Jessica Chock-Goldman is a social worker at Bard⁸ Early College High School in New York City. She said that she has seen many cases where mental health issues turn severe partly because young people did not get earlier access to therapy.

　　For Derry and her mother, years of talking have led to some progress. Several years ago, her mother agreed to a compromise.

　　They found a Black female therapist, which was important to both of them as a Black family. Oliver agreed that her daughter could start therapy — as long as she could sit in on the meetings.

　　"It has to be someone trustworthy," Oliver said of a possible therapist for her daughter. But the therapist changed jobs after a month and Derry has not seen another therapist since.

　　Trout, the school social worker in training, said she has met many parents who, like Oliver, have trust issues.

　　"If we're thinking about predominantly Black and brown communities, if your interactions with social workers or mental health services or anything in that realm thus far have not been positive," Trout said, "how could you trust them with your kids?"

　　Racial divide

　　Statistics also show a racial divide.

　　In 2021, 14 percent of white children reported seeing a therapist at some point during that year. This number is compared to 9 percent of Black children, 8 percent of Hispanic children, and 3 percent of Asian American children. These numbers come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

　　Without access to therapy, Derry has sought advice about dealing⁹ with her emotions through friends, school social workers, and the Internet. But she feels that she could gain more with professional help.

　　Derry has already gotten into several colleges. One thing she is considering is what the school offers for therapy.

　　Words in This Story

　　grade – n. a level of study in an elementary, middle, or secondary school that is completed by a student during one year

　　therapist – n. a person trained in methods of treatment other than the use of drugs or surgery

　　apartment – n. a room or set of rooms used as a dwelling¹⁰

　　growing pains – n. emotional difficulties or confusion experienced by a young person during the time between being a child and an adult

　　counseling – n. professional guidance of the individual by utilizing¹¹ psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes¹²

　　frustration² – n. a deep chronic¹³ sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs

　　access – n. freedom or ability to obtain or make use of something

　　transgender – adj. of, relating to, or being a person whose gender⁷ identity is opposite the sex the person was identified as having at birth

　　predominantly – adv. for the most part

　　realm – n. field of influence or activity

　　positive – adj. marked by or indicating acceptance, approval, or affirmation

1 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

2 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

3 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

4 trout   

n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属)

参考例句：

• Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上万的鲑鱼和鳟鱼的鱼苗因污染而死亡。
• We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我们钓了一条鳟鱼，早饭时吃了。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

7 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

8 bard   

n.吟游诗人

参考例句：

• I'll use my bard song to help you concentrate!我会用我的吟游诗人歌曲帮你集中精神！
• I find him,the wandering grey bard.我发现了正在徘徊的衰老游唱诗人。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

10 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

11 utilizing   

v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Utilizing an assembler to produce a machine-language program. 用汇编程序产生机器语言的过程。 来自辞典例句
• The study and use of devices utilizing properties of materials near absolute zero in temperature. 对材料在接近绝对零度时的特性进行研究和利用的学科。 来自辞典例句

12 aptitudes   

（学习方面的）才能，资质，天资( aptitude的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They all require special aptitudes combined with special training. 他们都应具有专门技能，并受过专门训练。
• Do program development with passion. has aptitudes for learning. research. innovation. 热爱程序开发工作。具有学习。钻研。创新的精神。

13 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。