The Case for School Chaplains

With the rising concern over the mental and emotional health of today’s teenagers, I have introduced LB 549 into the Nebraska Legislature which would authorize individual school districts to utilize the services of a school chaplain to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of students and staff. These chaplains could be either paid or volunteer and would perform various duties at the school including providing academic, career, emotional and behavioral health support to everyone.

This is not a novel idea. Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas have all passed bills allowing for chaplains in their schools. Meanwhile, 15 states ranging from Virginia to North Dakota are all having this same conversation in their legislative bodies right now. 

The need is critical, because according to the Center for Disease Control, in 2022 suicide was the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults ages 10-34. Violence in schools continues to rise while students face record levels of mental health challenges and hopelessness. Our children and their mental health must be our first concern!

In addition, we currently have a shortage of teachers in Nebraska which is putting stress on existing staff. According to the National Education Association, teachers are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress and burnout, with many considering early retirement.    

Meanwhile, chaplains are common in the military, in hospitals, correctional facilities and mental health facilities. The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate both employ chaplains, so why not have chaplains in schools? If chaplains are entrusted with the spiritual care of our firefighters and law enforcement officers, they can certainly be of use in our schools!

One of the benefits seen by the National School Chaplains Association (NSCA), has been a reduction in discrimination and bullying when diverse chaplains are present. A chaplain, as defined in the bill, would be someone who is trained to work with all faiths. 

According to the research of Dr. Lisa Miller at Columbia University, an absence of spiritual care as provided by chaplains actually causes mental illness. According to her clinical evidence, children and teachers go to school healthy and come home with mental health issues if their spiritual needs are not met.  And chaplains are not just a resource for students but can also provide spiritual care for teachers. In NSCA’s 15 years of existence in 23 countries working with 27.5 million students, they have never had a student commit suicide. That is an amazing statistic!

If we truly want to afford our children every opportunity for the best outcomes, allowing school districts the option of establishing a school chaplain is a powerful way to provide those opportunities.

In the interest of accountability, LB 549 requires school districts to set standards and parameters before bringing a chaplain on board, either paid or volunteer. However, a school chaplain would not need to hold a teaching certificate. Schools would be required to develop a policy relating to employing a non-certified individual as a school counselor. The policy must include provisions relating to the hiring, discipline, continued education and termination of employment of a chaplain as an non-certified school counselor. The normal required background checks and other hiring policies would remain in place. In other words, a chaplain does not replace the school counselor, but would provide an additional trusted adult for students to confide in. Since chaplains are trained to provide spiritual and emotional care for students and school staff, studies have clearly shown this leads to healthier, more resilient students and a reduction in destructive behaviors. Chaplains can offer immediate support during and after critical incidents, help foster better relationships and help with goal setting and confidence building. 

As Mary Kay Ash once said, “If you listen to someone long enough, they will generally come up with an adequate solution,” but unfortunately people rarely listen well. Chaplains are trained to listen, understand and validate.  Schools with chaplains have seen marked reductions in violence, bullying and disciplinary actions as well as improvements in academic performance and student/teacher relationships and enhanced school safety overall! Chaplains represent a cost-effective and powerful solution to some of the most pressing issues in education today.