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Schools are trying to get more students into therapy. Not all parents are on board

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NEW YORK (AP) – Derry Oliver was in fifth grade when she first talked to her mother about seeing a therapist.

She lived in Georgia together with her brother while her mother was in New York searching for a job and apartment before the family moved. It was a difficult yr. Oliver, now 17, felt depressed. A college worker suggested the concept of ​​hiring a therapist.

Oliver’s mother, also named Derry Oliver, questioned the varsity’s assessment and didn’t consent to therapy. “You are so young,” my mother remembered pondering. “There’s nothing fallacious with you. These are growing pains.

Derry Oliver, 17, right, hugs his mother, also Derry Oliver, while visiting a playground near their home, Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in New York. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the younger Oliver turned to therapy as she struggled with the isolation of distant learning, regardless that her mother objected. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

The issue got here up again throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, when a younger Oliver, combating the isolation of distant learning, turned to his highschool in Brooklyn for help. School-based mental health professionals, resembling social staff, may provide counseling without parental consent. However, in New York, sending a student to more intensive treatment almost at all times requires parental consent. In Oliver’s case, this led to more conflict.

“It was very emotional for both of us because I understood her frustrations and concerns,” the younger Oliver recalled. “But at the same time, sometimes it’s better for the child to have access to it rather than to be kept away from it.”

As schools across the country respond to the youth mental health crisis accelerated by the pandemic, many face thorny legal, ethical and practical challenges related to parental involvement in treatment. The issue has develop into politicized, with some states looking to improve access to education, while in others conservative politicians are proposing further restrictions, accusing schools of trying to indoctrinate students and exclude parents.

Differing views on mental health are nothing recent for parents and kids, but more conflicts are emerging as young people develop into more comfortable talking openly about mental health and easier access to treatment. Schools have invested pandemic relief funds in hiring more mental health professionals, in addition to using telehealth and online counseling to reach as many students as possible.

“It’s this lack of connection,” said Chelsea Trout, a social employee at a Brooklyn charter school. “All children use TikTok or the internet and understand and are interested in therapeutic speech and that it can be helpful for their mental health, but they don’t have clear support from their parents.”

Research suggests that the necessity to obtain parental consent generally is a significant barrier to teens’ access to treatment.

Access to treatment will be crucial, especially for LGBTQ+ youth, who are much more likely than their peers to attempt suicide and whose parents may not find out about or accept their sexual orientation or gender identity. Jessica Chock-Goldman, a social employee at Bard Early College High School in Manhattan, said she has seen many cases wherein mental health problems have develop into severe, partially because teenagers have not previously had access to therapy.

“Many children would be hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or intentions because preventive measures have not been effective,” she said.

Policymakers are increasingly being attentive to when young people can consent to mental health treatment. States like California and Colorado recently lowered the age of consent for treatment to 12 years. However, in some states, resembling North Carolina, the problem has been drawn into broader policy debates about parental input on the curriculum and the rights of transgender students.

There can be an enormous extra-legal hurdle: therapy isn’t free, and paying for it or filing an insurance claim often requires parental support.

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Teens in New York can consent to therapy starting at age 16, and the law allows doctors to consent to treatment for younger children in the event that they consider it’s of their best interest. But there are caveats: Consent laws apply only to state-licensed outpatient facilities and don’t cover drug prescribing.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced a partnership with Talkspace to provide free online counseling to all city teens through a program generally known as NYC Teenspace. According to this system’s website, it doesn’t require insurance, but parental consent is required “except in special circumstances.”

For Oliver and her mother, years of conversation have resulted in some progress, but not the access to therapy the younger Oliver desires.

Derry Oliver (right) holds her 2-year-old daughter Dessie while her other daughter, also named Derry, swings during a visit to a playground near their home, Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

A number of years ago, the Olivers agreed to a compromise. They found a black therapist, which was vital to each of them as a black family. The elder Oliver felt she was called “aggressive” for expressing normal emotions as a black woman, and likewise had negative experiences with therapists and medications for depression, which she felt made her feel like a “zombie.”

The elder Oliver agreed that her daughter could begin therapy – so long as she attended the sessions. But the therapist modified jobs after a couple of month, and Oliver hasn’t seen one other therapist since.

“It has to be someone trustworthy,” the elder Oliver said of her daughter’s potential therapist.

Trout, a social employee at a Brooklyn charter school, said she has met many parents who, like Oliver, distrust the varsity’s recommendations and wonder why their child would wish therapy if she or he is successful academically and socially.

“If we think about communities that are predominantly black and brown, if your past interactions with social workers or mental health services or anything in that field have not been positive,” she said, “how can you trust them with your children?”

Statistics show a racial divide. According to a 2021 survey, 14% of white children reported seeing a therapist in some unspecified time in the future this yr, compared to 9% of Black children, 8% of Hispanic children and just 3% of Asian American children. questionnaire from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Without access to therapy, the younger Oliver sought advice on how to deal together with his emotions through friends, school social staff and the Internet. However, she is convinced that with constant, skilled help she could achieve much more.

Oliver has already been accepted to several colleges – much to her mother’s pride – and is considering her options for next yr.

One thing he wonders about is how much access they provide therapists.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Education

Mississippi College changes name and eliminates football program

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Mississippi College embraces its Christian ideology with a name change.


Mississippi College, a non-public institution, is changing its name to Mississippi Christian College. The decision was approved by the Mississippi Board of Supervisors on November 18.

The university can be eliminating its Division 1 football team in an effort to prioritize academic offerings. In an announcement, the university cited the upcoming bicentenary because the inspiration for the changes.

Mississippi Christian College wants to construct on its Christian ideology, in line with President Bake Thompson.

“These transformational and necessary changes are critically important to the future of this institution. As we look ahead to the institution’s bicentennial in 2026, we want to ensure that MC is a university recognized for academic excellence and commitment to Christ for another 200 years.”

The college is rededicated to making a space where Christian education stays a priority.

“The institution may even undergo restructuring. A brand new structure will likely be introduced, which can mix the College of Christianity and Art with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the College of Pedagogy will change its name to the College of Pedagogy and Human Sciences. The chancellor was charged with evaluating the potential consolidation of a limited number of educational departments on campus.

Mississippi Christian Athletic Director Kenny Bizott reaffirmed his commitment to former student-athletes.

“We will support our current student-athletes who wish to continue their education at MC, as well as those who wish to transfer,” Bizott added.

Many may view these changes as extreme, but Mississippi Christian believes that every latest organizational change will help the institution fulfill its core functions.

Another Mississippi institution can be within the news for its failures on the legislative level. reported the Mississippi State Senate no payment Legislative Services Office (LSO) attorney Kristie Metcalfe is paid commensurate along with her peers.

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Mississippi LSO on Metcalfe’s behalf. An office investigation found that Metcalfe was earning half the salary of white LSO lawyers. The investigation also found that Metcalfe is the one non-white worker employed within the office’s 34 years of operation. Race discrimination violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries, including Toni Morrison, Richard Wright and Maya Angelou

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” “Forever” by Judi Blume. “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut.

According to the newest information, all of them have been withdrawn from the shelves of some Florida schools list developed by the Florida Department of Education and containing books removed by local school districts.

Recent changes in state law have made it possible for fogeys and residents to take this motion challenge books to school libraries and required districts to submit an annual report to the state detailing which books were restricted of their schools. Florida continues to steer the nation in withdrawing books from school libraries, in accordance with an evaluation by the American Library Association and the advocacy group PEN America.

“Restricting access means limiting the freedom to read,” said Kasey Meehan of PEN America. “Students are losing the opportunity to access books that reflect their own life experiences, to access books that help them learn and to empathize with people who… have different life experiences.”

The list, published for the 2023-2024 school yr, includes titles by American literary icons similar to Maya Angelou, Flannery O’Connor and Richard Wright, in addition to books which have turn into top targets for censorship across the country as a consequence of LGBTQ+ characters, discussions about gender and sexuality and descriptions of sexual encounters, e.g. “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson and “Gender Queer” by Maja Kobabe. Supporters of conservatism have described such content as “pornographic.”

The list of books removed from libraries also includes Holocaust accounts similar to “The Diary of Anne Frank: A Graphic Adaptation” and “Sophie’s Choice.” It’s an analogous story with the graphic novel, an adaptation of “1984,” George Orwell’s groundbreaking work on censorship and surveillance.

“Everywhere from Toni Morrison to Alice Walker to Slaughterhouse-Five to George Orwell,” said Stephana Farrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which tracks book challenges within the state. “If you take the time to look through this list, you will see that there is a problem with… this movement.”

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In an announcement to the Associated Press, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Education maintained that no books have been banned in Florida and defended the state’s efforts to remove “sexually explicit material” from schools.

“Once again, far-left activists are promoting the book ban scam to Floridians. “The better question is why these activists continue to fight to expose children to sexually explicit material,” spokeswoman Sydney Booker said.

The list shows that the number of book withdrawals varies widely across the state, with some districts reporting no restrictions and others reporting hundreds of titles pulled from shelves. Farrell of the Florida Freedom to Read Project said that based on the group’s evaluation of public records, the department’s report is an undercount since it doesn’t include books removed in consequence of an internal staff review, only those withdrawn in consequence of a grievance filed by a parent or resident.

Farrell believes that almost all Florida parents want their children to have broad access to literature.

“We live in a country where parental rights should be recognized, heard and taken into account,” Farrell said. “We are asking for accountability and an accurate record of the impact of these laws on our children and what is available to them.”

Schools have restricted access to dozens of books by Stephen King, a master of the horror genre known for bestsellers similar to “It” and “Pet Sematary.” Clay County officials also found his book, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,” inappropriate for college kids.

King, who spends part of the yr in Florida, talked about attempting to get his books out of students’ hands, urging readers to run to the closest library or bookstore.

“What the hell?” In August, King posted on social media reacting to the choice of some Florida schools to drag his books from shelves.

Multiple school districts in Florida have filed legal challenges for restricting students’ access to books, including Escambia County, which is being sued by PEN America and Random penguin housethe biggest publisher within the country.

Nassau County School District in September settled lawsuit brought by the authors of “And Tango Makes Three,” an image book based on the true story of two male penguins who raised a chick together at New York’s Central Park Zoo. Under the terms of the settlement, the district needed to return three dozen books to the shelves.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Issa Rae meets with Georgia law students

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Issa Rae, georgia state university

Rae will speak to students about legal issues related to her success.


Georgia State University College of Law announced that Issa Rae will meet with students to debate the legal elements of her successful profession as a part of the course “The Legal Life of Issa Rae.”

On November 7, the producer-actress will hold a hearing at Rialto Art Center. The visit is the culmination of a course exploring Rae’s decades-long profession within the entertainment industry. Rae’s profession provides a wealth of legal diversity to explore as her profession extends beyond visual entertainment.

The classes are held as a part of the “Legal Life…” series. The series was created by George State University law professor Moraima “Mo” Ivory.

As a professor at Georgia State College of Law, Ivory curated a series that examined the legality of maintaining a prestigious profession. As reported, Rae is a course subject this semester BLACK ENTERPRISES.

The creator’s team worked with Ivory to take an in depth take a look at the contracts that helped Rae secure her deals.

“With the support of her team, we will also have the unique opportunity to analyze her real-world deals and discuss how her approach to deals is shaping today’s entertainment landscape. We are incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity,” Ivory told .

It was classy access for 10 years value of contractual agreements to be analyzed.

“This is the first class where every contract was an actual contract with the artist,” Ivory said. “Students can see how real deals actually happen and what real entertainment lawyer Issa Rae has been doing over the last 10 years.”

Ivory, a professor and Fulton County commissioner, believes that the language of the law is vital and that the power to see the language in connection with a noteworthy product allows students to beat the barrier of unfamiliarity.

“You have to look at what people are actually doing and what is happening at the moment. The more familiar they become with the language, the faster they will be able to master it and start representing clients.”

According to Ivory, Rae’s family and business partners were instrumental in checking out the complicated details of her business. The course was attended by “Rae’s mother, siblings, network executives and members of her staff.”

The longtime artist began her profession on YouTube with “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” The show’s success led to a collaboration with host Larry Wilmore and a multi-show deal with HBO. Outside of television, Rae is a successful actress and producer of many shows including (2022). She also created her own media company HooRae media and music label Raedio.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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