Giving Compass' Take:

• Shawna De La Rosa describes the need for more programs that support the high proportion of students suffering from depression and anxiety.

• How large of an issue is debilitating mental health? Are you ready to give to programs that help young people struggling with these issues?

• Read about the impact of anxiety and depression in other settings.

The BRYT program, founded in the Boston area in 2004 by Brookline Center for Community Mental Health, has become an effective model for helping students transition back to school after a mental health crisis. The center helps school districts plan and implement these programs, which are staffed by school employees. It also helps districts find funding sources.

Budgets are also tight — and sometimes nonexistent — for counseling programs. Given more control over his budget, Principal Nelson Van Vranken of Fort Logan Northgate, a grades 3-8 school near Denver, was able to fund counseling at his school with state grants and a program offering college interns course credit for participating. The two social workers, district-level psychologist, behavior teacher and two interns involved helped to improve student behavior and destigmatize mental health at the school, additionally resulting in a 50% higher teacher retention rate since the 2015-16 school year.

Read the full article about finding help for students who struggle with mental health by Shawna De La Rosa at Education Dive.