Family Service Agency

One of the major fallouts from the Covid pandemic was the effects of isolation on every member of society. But without question, the segment of the population hardest hit by the closures and other restrictions that took place in 2020-21 were America’s school children. 

Youngsters whose brains are still developing were yanked out of the social environments not only in schools, but after-school programs and many other gathering places. No wonder statistics show a marked increase in children and adolescents experiencing challenges to emotional wellbeing, including documented increases in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. The pandemic focused attention on the urgency to address our youth mental health crisis. 

Perhaps a little more surprisingly, the need for mental health services has not declined, even though the pandemic has been over for more than three years. On top of the lingering effects of isolation during the shutdowns, political and economic upheaval have also wreaked havoc on stability. While our idyllic beach communities might seem immune to much of what’s happening elsewhere, plenty of problems still show up here. 

Fortunately, Family Service Agency (FSA) of Santa Barbara County, whose organizational history dates to the 1800s, was already addressing mental health concerns long before the pandemic proved the need. FSA has long been providing school counseling for many of the county’s major school districts, including three of the largest in South County. The nonprofit’s School-Based Counseling program delivers therapy, case management, home visits, and critical incident response services. Available in South County at K-12 school campuses in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Lompoc, the program provides a convenient, familiar, and safe environment for children, adolescents, and their families. 

“It’s not like the need for mental health and support just disappeared after schools reopened,” said Carol Morgan, MA, LMFT, School Counseling Program Manager for FSA in south and mid county. “It’s been pretty stable since the pandemic. It’s just now the stressors and the traumas are different.”

For example, immigration raids are having a pronounced effect analogous to stressful concerns over Covid at their worst.. 

“Kids have had a family member who has been deported or is facing removal, but it goes far beyond that,” Morgan said. “The fear of ICE – just that looming fear that this could potentially impact a family member, a friend, or members of the community – that alone is more than enough to create a mental health struggle.” 

Of course, the immigration issues that have surfaced in 2025 only add to the ongoing and additional problems that can affect youth’s mental health. 

“That’s just one layer of stress that they’re dealing with,” Morgan said. “Put that on top of economic stress and basically, even though the pandemic’s over, we have other stress and traumas that make the need for mental health support just as great as it’s ever been. But the funding, unfortunately, is not proportionate. So that’s our biggest challenge.”

The issue is partly this; as the pandemic has waned, so has the governmental and other support for some social services, including non-academic counseling for students, Morgan said. 

“Most of that pandemic-related mental health money that showed up quickly in 2020 is no longer available now, and there’s been a drop in funding that’s been available to the school districts to hire mental health professionals,” she said. “Donors should know that with the decline of funding the school districts receive to support mental health, we’ve had to rely more on private donors and foundations. That’s our biggest challenge and struggle now.”

What also hasn’t changed is how critical the need remains among students from lower-income families or even those not facing economic challenges. That’s where FSA’s school-based mental health services are vital. 

“For some students, our services are the only feasible option to get this mental health support,” Martin said. “Because it’s a free service, what we offer overcomes the financial barrier. Many families can’t afford private mental health services even if they have health insurance, because the copays are just too expensive to keep paying for them week after week.” (As of this writing, the failure of Congress to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies will exacerbate this problem.)

Beyond the economic issues, accessing effective mental health support can also be a matter of timing, Martin said. 

“Many students are super busy after the school day, either with activities or perhaps having to work a part-time job to help out the family, or they need to be home to look after younger siblings. They don’t have any other time in the day to schedule with a therapist.”

The pandemic created more opportunities for telehealth including virtual therapy, which largely remains available. But it’s not always as effective for those of student age, Martin said. 

“We’ve noticed that many of the teens, and especially the young kids, gravitate toward in-person therapies,” she said. “They don’t engage as favorably with telehealth. So even though the timing makes it possible to see someone, it defeats the purpose if they’re not able to engage effectively. Seeing someone in person is still the best way for them to access the support they need. I can’t emphasize how important it is that this service is available for students during the school day.” 

The schools themselves value that they are able to provide the service through FSA, allowing students to attend their therapy sessions during the school day. In-person, in-school therapy also obviates any possible transportation issue, even if they could fit outside help into their schedules. 

FSA also continues to bridge whatever language gap may exist, as FSA’s School-Based Counseling program is provided in students’ native language, most often Spanish, even if they’re officially bilingual, Martin said. In Santa Maria, FSA even provides at least one counselor fluent in Mixteco to meet the needs of a segment of the local population that speaks the language. 

Altogether FSA is on site with on-campus mental health counseling in seven school districts across the county, now including Goleta. In the last fiscal year, 735 youth received 8,143 hours of counseling, with laudable effectiveness as indicated by a 98 percent satisfaction figure among surveyed parents and students, with results in the 80s for maintaining or improving interest and attendance in school. An additional 840 individuals participated in trainings in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), suicide-prevention tools YMHFA (Youth Mental Health First Aid) and TMHFA (Teen Mental Health First Aid).

As the world changes, FSA’s school program is there for students in need. 

“Maybe people have adapted fairly well to the uncertainty that was generated by the pandemic, but the nature of life is that once you get stability in one issue, another issue shows up,” Martin said. “We’re ready.”  

Visit https://fsacares.org for more information