The need for youth mental health support is growing, but local schools are cutting support.

The ongoing loss of mental health programming in our schools is discouraging and may have devastating consequences for young people in our community.

The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District board of trustees last week eliminated six psychologist positions. The week before, the Salinas Union High School District board axed 14 restorative justice specialists and the health and wellness director. Last month, more than 10 local youth-serving organizations learned they would lose millions in funding from the Monterey County Health Department.

Federal, state and local government funding for mental health in schools have been dramatically reduced. That money trickled through county funding mechanisms and translated into real people serving real students in real schools. Now those positions are being eliminated. But the need continues to grow.

Research indicates that one in six students aged 6 to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year, and that roughly half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14.

We shouldn’t pretend these cuts are inconsequential.

Undiagnosed or untreated mental health challenges can significantly interfere with a student’s ability to learn, grow and develop. Because children spend so much of their time in school, educational settings offer a critical opportunity for early intervention. For many students, school is the only place they will receive the mental health support they need.

When public investment shrinks, the responsibility doesn’t evaporate. It shifts. It shifts to parents, to districts already trying to manage rising costs, to nonprofits working to close widening gaps and to private citizens and corporate entities.

We understand that policy makers are making difficult decisions with limited resources. But we shouldn’t pretend these cuts are inconsequential. We know that support cannot stop at the classroom door. Young people need programs like those offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and AIM Youth Mental Health, which teach resilience and skills for accessing the mental health system. They are part of the ecosystem of integrated care that keeps young people stable, connected and thriving.

In the same way it takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire village to support our children’s mental health. Families cannot carry this alone. Teachers cannot carry this alone. Nonprofits cannot carry this alone.

At a time when the federal government is stepping back, local communities must step forward. That means individuals giving to the organizations they believe in. It means corporate leaders recognizing that today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce and investing accordingly. It means publicly supporting leaders who fight to preserve as many services as possible.

If we want strong schools, strong families and a healthy community, we must invest in the supports that make those things possible.

COLLEEN BEYE is executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Monterey County. JOLIE DELJA is executive director of AIM Youth Mental Health.