What to Tell Your School About
Taking Time Off School for Mental Health
Author:
Jemma Strain
B.S. Psychology
Editor:
Emma Loker
B.S.
The percentage of teenagers who have needed specialty mental health treatment, such as residential services, has been increasing over the last decade. This means that these teenagers likely needed to take time off school to look after their mental health.1
If a teen has a mental health condition, they might not only need help with coping with their emotions and behaviors – they may also require educational support. There’s a two-way relationship between mental health and education: Mental health can affect the ability to learn and thrive, but education also can protect mental health. Therefore, if a teen needs to take time off to look after their mental health, it’s important to know their rights and how to discuss supporting their learning.2
If your child’s mental health issues have escalated to the point that they are taking time off for mental health, a mental health professional can help you understand how to navigate this process. This article can also help by discussing:
How to explain mental health time off to your school
- Requesting mental health leave for your child
- Telling your school about a mental health emergency
- School support for mental health-related absences
- When to seek help for discussing mental health treatment with your child’s school
Explaining Mental Health Time Off to Your School
A mental health leave of absence from school means taking a break from studies. This break can be by choice or it might be involuntary if it’s required for safety and well-being.3
Students with disabilities, including mental health conditions, have the right to have their needs accommodated for by their school – especially if they require a period of absence.
Schools can make arrangements for:4
Extra time on exams or coursework- Withdrawing from certain classes
- Mental health leaves of absence
- Support within the school environment, such as pastoral care from teachers and peer support
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health issues that are affecting learning, it may be important to notify your school so that they can make these accommodations.
However, different schools might have varying policies around taking a leave of absence. For instance, your school may have a disability coordinator who can explain the process of taking a leave of absence and the documentation you need to provide. Talking to a mental health professional can also help you understand how to explain to a school about a need for mental health leave and how to go about getting a diagnosis.
Despite varying policies, in general, schools are very familiar with mental health issues in teens. Therefore, they will understand and empathize with your situation. There’s no reason to be concerned about their response – staff will likely do their best to support you and your child during this time.
Requesting Mental Health Leave for Your Child
The first step to requesting mental health leave for your child is to understand their mental health rights. Different states have varying mental health rights, but, in general, the Americans Disabilities Act protects children with mental health conditions from discrimination. This means that their ability to learn and succeed will be safeguarded.
It’s also important to speak to a doctor or mental health professional about a diagnosis, this way, the steps to getting mental health accommodations in school can start. These accommodations typically take two forms:
Individualized Education Plans (IEPs): If your child needs a leave of absence from school for their mental health, they will likely need to get an IEP. If you’ve seen a doctor or mental health professional about getting a diagnosis for your child, the IEP process might already have begun. IEPs are more intensive than Section 504 plans and usually involve yearly evaluations to determine goals and progress.- Section 504 Plans: A 504 plan helps facilitate learning at school when a student has mental health issues. However, if your child needs to take mental health leave, they may require a more comprehensive IEP.
Getting an IEP for your child can be complicated, but it can help to talk to a mental health advocate. Mental health advocates can help parents and teens understand what their mental health rights are and how to get their needs met in the education system.
Mental health advocates can also assist families in interpreting mental health test results, finding available services, and working with schools in arranging IEPs. If you’re unsure how to find a mental health advocate in your area, talking to a mental health professional can put you on the right track.5
How to Talk to Your School About Mental Health Leave
If your child needs to take mental health leave from school, it’s important to take action to support their well-being and learning. It might also be a good idea to keep your child informed about the steps you’re taking to protect their mental health in school. When a teen is included in decision-making processes, their motivation and outcomes can improve.
The first step in talking to your school about mental health leave is to arrange an informal conversation about your child’s mental health. In this conversation, you can share your concerns with teachers, as well as talk about any observations or thoughts they have about your child’s performance and behaviors. While a teacher won’t be involved in the diagnosis process, they can still make suggestions on how to improve a child’s well-being and learning in school.
If your child takes mental health leave, it’s important to keep teachers updated on your child’s well-being and progress. By doing this, you can make certain that staff can put measures in place to prepare for your child’s return to school.
The following steps can help guide you in the process of talking to schools about mental health leave.5
Reach Out to the School
The first step in talking to your school about mental health leave is to arrange an informal conversation about your child’s mental health. In this conversation, you can share your concerns with teachers, as well as talk about any observations or thoughts they have about your child’s performance and behaviors. While a teacher won’t be involved in the diagnosis process, they can still make suggestions on how to improve a child’s well-being and learning in school.
Request an Evaluation
The next step in talking to your school about mental health leave is a more formal one; putting in a request for accommodations to their learning. This request likely needs to be in writing, so aim to keep copies of communications. In this request, you can be as detailed as you like regarding your child’s condition and how they need certain services to help them manage their issues. However, if your child is still in the early stages of their diagnosis and IEP, you can simply let the school know that you want an evaluation of their mental health needs.
It’s good to know that this evaluation will be separate from any made outside of school. The school will arrange it with either an internal mental health professional or one from the community. Through this evaluation, you and the school can better understand how to support your child’s needs – including coming to an agreement about taking mental health leave.
Advocate for Their Needs
Being actively involved in any meetings and discussions around your child’s mental health in school means you can advocate for their rights and needs. As previously mentioned, mental health rights can vary from state to state. Being familiar with these can ensure that you know how to protect your child’s rights. It can also help to provide any documents from your doctor or mental health professional. You can also request that your mental health professional be involved in these meetings.Remember, you and your child have the right to ask for certain accommodations and challenge any decisions you don’t agree with. This includes those around taking mental health leave.
Regularly Update Teachers
If your child takes mental health leave, it’s important to keep teachers updated on your child’s well-being and progress. By doing this, you can make certain that staff can put measures in place to prepare for your child’s return to school.
After your child’s reentry, you can discuss the steps that are working to improve your child’s well-being and learning – and what is not working. This way, you can regularly update the treatment plan accordingly.
Each of these steps can help you advocate for your child’s mental health and education rights. However, if your child is experiencing a mental health emergency, it might also be important to discuss what they’re going through with their school.
Telling Your School About a Mental Health Emergency
A mental health crisis is when a teen is at risk of harming themselves or others, or if their actions or emotions are uncontrollable. If your child is experiencing a mental health crisis and needs to take a leave of absence from school, it’s important to communicate this with teachers.6
Teachers are well-placed to make observations about students’ performance and behaviors, so they can offer valuable insight to parents who may be worried about their child’s well-being.
Additionally, if your child is having a mental health crisis and needs time off school, it’s good to be as open and honest about their issues as possible. For example, instead of vaguely telling staff over the phone that your child isn’t feeling well and can’t come to school, consider setting up a meeting. In this meeting, you can explain that your child is experiencing certain symptoms and they’re unable to attend school for a while. You might also need to provide any paperwork relating to their issues, such as a diagnosis from their doctor or mental health professional.
Your school may likely discuss plans for when your child is able to return to school, helping to manage any issues that could create extra distress. When the right support is in place, your child will be able to return to their routine with as little disruption as possible.
School Support for Mental Health-Related Absences
Schools often play an important role in mental health-related absences – including how to help families prepare for reentry. For instance, schools can make adjustments to your child’s curriculum and provide peer support and safe spaces to turn to when overwhelmed.
Aside from making adjustments to the curriculum and arranging peer support, schools may also be able to offer on-site mental health services. For example, they might arrange school counseling or liaise with community-based mental health professionals to provide continued support on return to school.
A mental health professional can talk to schools, teens, and their families about symptoms and recommendations for continued support, including the following therapy options.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): A student may have been receiving CBT to manage their symptoms in inpatient or outpatient care. A school counselor or community-based professional may also use CBT techniques to help a teen identify negative patterns and help them build healthy ways of coping.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): While EMDR may not be delivered on campus, a community-based mental health professional may recommend it if a teen has experienced negative events, such as trauma. EMDR changes how memories are stored in the brain, helping a teen move past trauma and form more positive beliefs.
- Interpersonal therapy: Relationships with family and friends can contribute to a student’s mental health difficulties. Interpersonal therapy can help them work through these issues, develop stronger social skills, and figure out better ways of coping to improve their mental health.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): While TMS is also unlikely to be administered in school, it can be used in the community to manage treatment-resistant mental health conditions. It’s a non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic fields to activate nerve cells in targeted areas of the brain – improving outlook and mood.
When to Seek Help for Discussing Mental Health Treatment With Your Child’s School
If your child needs time off school to look after their mental health, you both might be feeling overwhelmed and stressed. You might be worried about how to talk to the school or fear what this means for their academic success. Teachers and other educators are familiar with mental health issues in school, so they’re well-placed to help you address your concerns. However, professional mental health advice can also help you navigate this process.
Mission Prep offers outpatient and residential treatment options for a variety of teen mental health conditions in various locations. Therefore, we understand how to help parents and teens recognize their mental health rights in education and how to take mental health leave in ways that have the least impact on education. Our team tailors each program to each teen’s unique needs and is available to answer any questions or concerns. Contact us to learn more.
References
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). (2022, October). 2022 National healthcare quality and disparities report. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr22/index.html
- Kondirolli, F., & Sunder, N. (2022). Mental health effects of education. Health Economics, 31(Suppl 2), 22. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4565
- Porter, M. (2017, March 27). Know your rights: Leave of absence policies. Active Minds.
- Mental Health America. (n.d.). Taking a leave of absence: What you need to know. Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/resources/taking-a-leave-of-absence-what-you-need-to-know/
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Getting your child mental health support and accommodations in school. NAMI. Retrieved March 23, 2025, from https://www.nami.org/your-journey/kids-teens-and-young-adults/kids/getting-your-child-mental-health-support-and-accommodations-in-school/
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). What to do if your child is in crisis. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/your-journey/kids-teens-and-young-adults/kids/what-to-do-if-your-child-is-in-crisis/
