05-02-2023, 01:21 PM
POLITICO: So, what are the solutions?
Densley: There are things we can do right now as individuals, like safe storage of firearms or something as simple as checking in with your kid.
Peterson: Then we really need resources at institutions like schools. We need to build teams to investigate when kids are in crisis and then link those kids to mental health services. The problem is that in a lot of places, those services are not there. There’s no community mental health and no school-based mental health. Schools are the ideal setting because it doesn’t require a parent to take you there. A lot of perpetrators are from families where the parents are not particularly proactive about mental health appointments.
Alright, sounds good. How can we do this better?
Densley: There are things we can do right now as individuals, like safe storage of firearms or something as simple as checking in with your kid.
Peterson: Then we really need resources at institutions like schools. We need to build teams to investigate when kids are in crisis and then link those kids to mental health services. The problem is that in a lot of places, those services are not there. There’s no community mental health and no school-based mental health. Schools are the ideal setting because it doesn’t require a parent to take you there. A lot of perpetrators are from families where the parents are not particularly proactive about mental health appointments.
Alright, sounds good. How can we do this better?