Mary Ann Koruth | NorthJersey.com
Calls for help to the New Jersey children's mental health hotline have increased compared to last year as parents seek help, especially during the morning hours, said the Department for Children and Families (DFC) commissioner.
The overall call volume to the Children's System of Care increased, with the most calls coming from parents as their children experience stress before school hours, Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer said during a state COVID briefing.
“Getting adjusted to something as simple as taking the bus can be stressful,” she said, referring to behavioral and emotional challenges faced by K-12 students returning to in-person school after a year of hybrid or remote learning as “a pandemic of mental health”.
It is typical to see a rise in mental health reporting from K-12 students during the month of October, when educators become familiar with their students and are able to assist parents in reporting complaints and concerns. But this year, the uptick in calls occurred in September, with more than 10,000 calls, peaking in the morning, and particularly on Monday mornings, said Jason Butkowski, a DCF representative. Such calls in the morning usually have to do with school-avoidant behavior.
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