Because I'm at the school, the children see me as a teacher. They know me. My face is familiar to them. For the most part, parents are also willing to work with me, because if a child is having trouble at school, it's likely they are having trouble at home. Parents see me as someone who can help them and perhaps suggest ways to cope that they haven't thought of.
Teachers represent the first line of mental health defense.
If a child is not feeling well, is frightened or suffering trauma, their teacher usually knows about it. Depending upon the age of the age of the child, especially those in elementary or preschool, they will discuss problems with their teacher. The second line of defense is guidance counselors and social workers. There are not nearly enough of them, and the ones who are out there are overwhelmed with scheduling courses, helping students prepare for college and helping the administrative and disciplinary activities. The third line of mental health defense is our school based professionals.