For Providers
For School Districts
Frustrated teenage young woman female student with head in hands in hallway in school

eLuma’s 2025 State of Student Mental Health Report Calls for Sustainable, System-Wide Solutions in K–12 Schools

The Student Mental Health Crisis Isn’t Going Away. It’s Time to Act. For years, schools have worked tirelessly to respond to what many believed was a temporary mental health crisis tied to the isolation and upheaval of the pandemic. Educators and families hoped that as classrooms reopened and routines returned, students would regain their footing. But the latest data tells a different story. According to eLuma’s 2025 State of Student Mental Health Report, the crisis hasn’t eased in the five years since COVID-19 shut down schools nationwide. Nearly six in ten school-based providers say student mental health has worsened over the past year, while only four percent report improvement. Anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges continue to rise, shaping students’ ability to learn, connect, and thrive. These findings make one thing clear: what we are facing is not a temporary setback. Schools are facing a long-term shift that demands immediate, coordinated, and sustained action. Among those who have witnessed this shift firsthand is Kay Kelly, Mental Health Clinical Services Specialist for eLuma and an experienced licensed school psychologist. Kay has worked in school-based mental health for over a decade, providing direct services, consultation, and leadership to support students’ mental health needs.

Featured Posts

How Clear Priorities Drive Meaningful Mental Health Results for Students

For school and district leaders, uncertainty is a constant. Expectations shift, priorities compete, student needs grow, and leaders are increasingly asked to demonstrate that every effort produces measurable results for students. It can be tempting to adopt a one-size-fits-all program or a stopgap solution that promises quick fixes. However, districts that achieve meaningful results take a different approach: they clarify what matters most, ground decisions in local needs, and are intentional about how they define and measure impact. Key Takeaways Clarity drives progress: Districts with clearly defined priorities can focus resources and energy on initiatives that matter most, avoiding scattered efforts that fail to reach students in need. Tailored approaches work best: Programs that work in one district may not fit another. Align initiatives to local priorities, staffing realities, and community context to create sustainable, effective student support systems. Impact matters more than activity: Move beyond counting sessions or students served. Define the changes you hope to see and measure indicators that reflect true improvements in student, educator, and school outcomes. Accountability is a tool for growth: Regularly reviewing data and feedback allows districts to adjust strategies, sustain progress, and design systems that support lasting change. Purposeful action over quick

Ethical AI in Student Support Services: Balancing Accuracy, Efficiency, and Student Safety

AI is here, and it is changing the way schools operate. For student support teams, this can feel exciting, intimidating, and even concerning. Many educators and clinicians are asking important questions: Can AI really help me spend more time with students, or will it create more work and risk? How do I protect sensitive student data while using these tools? Could mistakes or bias hurt the students I am trying to support?  AI is not a magic solution, even though some folks may portray it as one. It is a tool, and only a predictive one at that. And like any tool, its impact depends on how it is used. In Student Support Services, where special education, counseling, behavioral health, and related services come together, AI’s potential is significant, but so are the stakes. While this article focuses specifically on how school staff and student support teams can use AI responsibly in their work, it is essential to acknowledge that student use of AI raises its own serious concerns around student mental health, learning integrity and equity, data privacy, and over-reliance. We strongly encourage readers to explore those risks more deeply as they develop district-wide AI guidance. Key Takeaways AI

Early Identification, Real Impact: The Case for Universal Screening in Education

How eLuma and SSIS are helping schools strengthen resilience and student well-being through unified systems of support While national headlines question whether school mental health screenings “turn students into patients,” schools are doing everything they can to support growing student mental and behavioral health challenges in the face of limited resources and ongoing staffing shortages. Educators and providers report an ongoing trend: students are increasingly stressed, anxious, and disconnected from learning. Universal behavioral health screening provides schools with a proactive way to identify concerns and respond before small challenges become barriers to learning. National organizations like NASP recommend universal screening within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) to ensure students receive the right level of support as early as possible. Still, some remain uncertain about how these tools fit into the larger picture of student support. The real question isn’t whether schools should screen students, but rather whether they have the systems in place to act on what they find. When used effectively, universal screening is not a medical tool; it is an educational strategy for identifying social and behavioral health needs in a scalable, equitable manner that improves academic outcomes for all students. Key Takeaways Early Identification Matters: A

Articles For Schools

parent teacher meeting

Articles For Clinicians