How things could be
When things look dire and overwhelming, I like to imagine what it would be like if the problems were solved. Once I have a good vision of how things could be, then I can start thinking about how to get us from here to there.
Come, imagine with me.
Let’s imagine a mental health system for children that works. Imagine if your guidance and counseling office at school had enough counselors. Your counselor would have enough opportunity to get to know you and know what helps you. He’s the type who notices when you’re not feeling your best. He checks in on you, and you feel safe to tell him that things are not so good at home. You know he’s got your back and will make sure that the other teachers provide the reasonable accommodation that you requested.
Now imagine if your counselor gets paid well. He gets full benefits, job security, and looks forward to a growing, meaningful career in helping children. With an adequate counselor-to-student ratio and financial security, your counselor can focus his energy on you and your classmates. He has the capacity to go above and beyond, showing malasakit and making sure that he’s not just a listening ear, but is also actively addressing your learning needs.
Imagine if your guidance office didn’t just consist of a guidance counselor, but a school psychologist as well. Maybe even an in-house occupational therapist and speech therapist. Let’s put in a special education specialist. Imagine how an interdisciplinary team like that improves the level of care received by the students. This will mean that a lot of students can access end-to-end care and not have to comply with external referrals that have long waitlists and cost a lot of money. Being in-house also means that your needs will be met at school, minimizing disruption. They will know your specific context and their recommendations will be more realistic. They’re also able to work with the teachers and administrators so that they don’t just get a recommendation letter; they get an active partner in how to optimize your learning.
Let’s shift the point of view to the school administrator. Imagine getting an in-house multidisciplinary team that can handle a wide range of student challenges. This makes it more likely that children will get the help that they need and be less likely to fall behind.
Imagine not having to make decisions on your own; you will get valuable input from multiple professionals. A team working together unlocks more solutions and shares the responsibility, decreasing the risk of employee burnout. Salaried professionals also mean that expenses are predictable and controlled. Studies also show that preventing severe mental health conditions comes out cheaper in the long term than the cost of dealing with the fallout of mental health-related episodes such as suicide, self-harm, aggression, and disruptive behaviors. With such a team, prevention becomes accessible and crisis becomes rare.
Imagine if your local government units and central agencies were fully responsive to the schools’ needs. As mandated by law, what if you truly did have the largest budget of any other unit? Imagine if your teachers and staff were all adequately compensated, enough for them to build a family and buy a home and enjoy their own comprehensive health care. What would the meetings feel like when your employees are well-rested and find meaning in their work?
Imagine if the Department of Education gave you a call and asked you what you need rather than telling you what to do. You give them feedback on what works and doesn’t work for the children and they actually listen. Imagine that, as a result of these conversations, they come up with training and material resources that help improve school life and facilitate student learning. Imagine if there were enough classrooms.
Imagine if the community was one that is worth living in. The way to school and work is pleasant. Sidewalks are wide enough for you to hold your child’s hand as you walk together. Vehicles stop at a pedestrian crossing. Imagine if death and injury due to vehicular accident were a rare occurrence and not a nightly report in the news.
The adults in the neighborhood all watch out for the children. They notice if someone is getting bullied or made fun of. They see who’s alone. They notice who’s hungry. Such adults would become more efficient than CCTVs. They don’t just monitor; they respond. With such adults to keep them safe, children can remain children for longer.
The public daycare would be a reliable resource for parents who have to work. Of course, in our imagination, they would be well-funded, too. Perhaps the daycare is close to the park. A library is nearby, with storytelling hour offered every afternoon. Teenagers play basketball, lovers share a picnic, and older people practice their tai chi.
Imagination is easy. Turning it into a reality, however, is not. But no matter how difficult, it is worth doing.
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Making every peso count