Take Action Mental Health in Your State

Arizona

By The Numbers

1,287,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

95,000

Children with major depressionii

67,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:1,593

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:3,382

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:905

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in Arizona

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW ARIZONA COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

46

30

49

49

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

50,000 / 9.39%

72,000 / 13.06%

89,000 / 15.93%

98,000 / 17.41%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

43,000 / 69.7%

52,000 / 59.6%

67,000 / 70.1%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

47,000 / 8.9%

66,000 / 12.5%

64,000 / 11.9%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

14,000 / 33.2%

15,000 / 24.7%

10,000 / 16.1%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

7,687 / 7.79%

7,551 / 7.31%

7,742 / 7.61%

7,756 / 7.39%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

Not Asked

31,000 / 11.7%

32,000 / 12.1%

27,000 / 10.2%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

40,000 / 7.53%

26,000 / 4.77%

23,000 / 4.08%

27,000 / 4.83%

 

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
Arizona

By The Numbers

1,287,000

Number of K-12 Students (2022 Projection)i

95,000
Children with major depressionii
67,000

Children with major depression who do not receive treatmentiii

1:1,593

Ratio of School Psychologists to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:500)

1:3,382

Ratio of School Social Workers to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

1:905

Ratio of School Counselors to Students
(Recommended Ratio 1:250)

Take Action
in Arizona

There is a national emergency in children’s mental health. Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. 

Take Action

Children and youth are experiencing soaring rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality. Mental health challenges can affect success at school and in life, yet few students get the help they need to thrive.

The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national organizations, is committed to ensuring that every student has access to effective and supportive school mental health care. The campaign’s school mental health report cards highlight accomplishments and provide important action steps to help address the children’s mental health crisis in every state.

At A Glance: State School Mental Health Policies

School Mental Health Professionals:

School-Family-Community Partnerships:

Teacher and Staff Training:

Funding
Supports:

Well-Being Checks:

Healthy School Climate:

Skills for Life Success:

Mental Health Education:

Little or no progress achieved

Some progress achieved

Meaningful progress achieved

Substantial progress achieved

HOW ARIZONA COMPARES

State Rankings from Mental Health America iv

2015

2020

2021

2022

Overall State Rank for Youth Mental Health

46

30

49

49

Youth with At Least One Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year

50,000 / 9.39%

72,000 / 13.06%

89,000 / 15.93%

98,000 / 17.41%

Youth with Major Depressive Episodes in the
Past Year Who Did Not Receive Treatment

Not Asked

43,000 / 69.7%

52,000 / 59.6%

67,000 / 70.1%

Youth with Major Severe Depressive Episodes in the Past Year

Not Asked

47,000 / 8.9%

66,000 / 12.5%

64,000 / 11.9%

Youth with Severe Major Depressive Episodes
Who Received Some Consistent Treatment

Not Asked

14,000 / 33.2%

15,000 / 24.7%

10,000 / 16.1%

Students Identified with Emotional Disturbance
for an Individualized Education Program

7,687 / 7.79%

7,551 / 7.31%

7,742 / 7.61%

7,756 / 7.39%

Youth with Private Insurance That Did Not
Cover Mental or Emotional Problems

Not Asked

31,000 / 11.7%

32,000 / 12.1%

27,000 / 10.2%

Youth with Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year

40,000 / 7.53%

26,000 / 4.77%

23,000 / 4.08%

27,000 / 4.83%

 

i. Projections of education statistics to 2022. National Center of Education Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014051.pdf.
ii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iii. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.
iv. The state of Mental Health in America. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america.

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School Mental Health Professionals

Little or no progress achieved

School psychologists, social workers, and counselors who, together, provide a range of necessary mental health services in schools.

 

Current Policy:

  • School psychologists: Arizona has one school psychologist for every 1,593 students (the recommended ratio is 1:500).
  • School social workers: Arizona has one school social worker for every 3,382 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
  • School counselors: Arizona has one school counselor for every 905 students (the recommended ratio is 1:250).
  • *Pacesetter* In 2021, The Arizona Department of Education announced a $21 million investment to fund 71 new school counselors and 69 new school social workers throughout the state.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Invest in significantly improving the ratios of school psychologists, school social workers, and counselors in K-12, including through telehealth partnerships and workforce programs that incentivize careers in mental health.

School-Family-Community Partnerships

Meaningful progress achieved

Policies that support and enable schools to engage with families and community partners.  

Current Policy:

  • Family/community engagement: Rev. Stat. Ann. § 15-102 requires districts to adopt plans, policies, or strategies to engage parents and families in the educational process.

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require partnerships between school districts and community mental health providers that ensure access to services for students with ongoing needs.

Teacher and Staff Training:

Some progress achieved

Policies that support training of teachers and staff in mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention.

Current Policy:

  • Suicide prevention training: Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-120 (2019) Arizona teachers, counselors, and other supportive personnel that work with 6th-12th grade students are required to receive evidence-based suicide awareness and prevention training at least once every three years.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Expand on existing training requirements to ensure K-12 teachers and staff receive regular training on mental health conditions and substance use conditions, including available school and community-based services and resources.

Funding Supports

Substantial progress achieved

Policies that help support funding of school mental health services for Medicaid-eligible students.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Medicaid coverage: State Medicaid program covers school-based mental health services for all Medicaid-eligible students.
  • Medicaid telehealth: State Medicaid program covers school-based mental health services delivered via telehealth.

Well-Being Checks

Little or no progress achieved

Regular checks of mental wellness that help identify students and staff who may need support.  

 

Current Policy:

  • No well-being checks required.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require annual well-being checks for all students and staff in K-12.

Healthy School Climate

Some progress achieved

Policies that foster safe, supportive schools, including anti-bullying policies, school climate surveys, inclusive environment (anti-discrimination) policies, excused absences for mental health, alternatives to exclusionary discipline, and suicide prevention programs.

 

Current Policy:

  • Anti-bullying: Rev. Stat. § 15-341 (2019) School districts are responsible for developing definitions for bullying, harassment, and intimidation, and for investigating all reports that prohibited conduct has occurred. School employees are required to report instances of bullying and provide victims with tools and resources appropriate to the situation.
  • Alternatives to exclusionary discipline: Rev. Stat. §15-841 (2018) Arizona schools are encouraged to engage non-punitive alternatives to suspension, including academic work, community service, and participation in mental health and wellness interventions facilitated by school counselors and social workers. Recent amendments provide even stronger protections for young students in kindergarten through 4th grade and require several interventions that center mental health and social wellness prior to punitive disciplinary action.

 

Policy Opportunity:

  • Enact legislation to address additional healthy school climate policies, such as requiring annual school climate surveys, promoting an inclusive environment through anti-discrimination policies, permitting excused absences for mental health concerns, and requiring age-appropriate suicide prevention education for students.

Skills for Life Success

Little or no progress achieved

Skills, such as responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and self-management, that help students succeed in school and life.  

Current Policy:

  • No recommended life skills competencies in K-12 (CASEL).  

Policy Opportunity:

  • Require adoption of evidence-based life skills education for K-12, including making training in the curriculum available to parents and caregivers.

Mental Health Education

Substantial progress achieved

Health education in K-12 that includes instruction on mental health.  

 

Current Policy:

  • Mental health education: Rev. Stat. Ann. §15-701.03 (2021) requires that K-12 health education include mental health instruction that incorporates mental health and the relationship of physical and mental health.