WETHERSFIELD - As a veteran youth case manager, Ann McAdams has seen her share of reluctant kids �" enrolled in behavioral health services by their parents.

       But now she says that’s changing.

       The kids are now asking �" begging �" for therapy,” says McAdams, who works for Newington’s Human Service Department. “Which is a really big shift."

       If there’s a silver lining in the indication that today’s youth are more aware of their social/emotional needs, it’s also a loud and clear signal that everyone else had better catch up �" and quickly �" Connecticut health professionals said during a Facebook Live youth mental health forum hosted recently by State Representatives Gary Turco (D-Newington) and Amy Bello (D-Wethersfield).

       "We've had a significant mental health crisis even prior to the pandemic,” says Dr. Melissa Santos, who heads Division of Child Psychology at Connecticut Children’s Hospital. "Since the start of the pandemic, we've seen a sharp increase across our entire system, with families trying to access our behavioral health services."

      

       In October, Connecticut Children’s CEO James Shmerlling told NBC News that they’ve seen youth caseloads double.

      

       Bello says she has Wethersfield constituents that have spent days in limbo �" unable to go home, due to safety reasons, but stuck waiting for program placement.

      

       "Ideally, the services will be available before kids to get that point, when they need to bring them to the emergency department,” Bello said.

      

       Santos agrees �" she says at Connecticut Children’s, the crisis has manifested in everything from eating disorders to suicide attempts, with adolescent girls most affected.

      

       Even before the onset of COVID, suicide was the second leading cause of death among those between the ages of 10 and 34, according to the CDC.

      

       Today, in the wake of job losses, learning disruptions, isolation, and cancelled school events, students are trying to reclaim some semblance of normalcy �" even as the pandemic’s emotional toll lingers, Santos and McAdams say.

      

       Research has shown dramatic upsurges in reported anxiety and depression across all age groups, but healthcare professionals are particularly concerned about youth �" 140,000 of which, as of October, lost a parent or guardian to COVID, according to a Pediatrics-published study first reported by NBC News.

      

       "Even when the pandemic is gone, we're going to see kids impacted for a long time,” Santos says.

      

       Last year, state lawmakers passed Public Act 21-116, which requires schools, hospitals, and other community touchpoints to disseminate information regarding available mental health support services.

      

       Other legislation ramped up youth suicide prevention training programs, added social emotional learning (SEL) to teacher professional development, and expanded outpatient services.

      

       But gaps remain, lawmakers and mental health professionals say.

      

       “We are seeing a lot of people struggling in our communities,” Bello said. “The mental health needs have grown during the pandemic, and it's been hard to find services."

      

       McAdams sees it firsthand. Newington Human Services has roughly 10 clients �" all under the age of 14.

      

       “We're seeing a lot of depression, anxiety, and it's like they just don't know how to deal with it,” she says. “It's heart-wrenching.”

      

       She recounted calling for a psych evaluation on behalf of one child �" and being told the wait was 3-6 weeks. And that’s on the low end �" McAdams says 4-6-month delays are not uncommon.

      

       “That's horrendous. A lot can happen in 4-6 months."

      

       Turco and Bello will have 4 months to pump additional support into state and community resources �" starting in February, when they return to Hartford to begin the winter legislative session.

      

       Turco is promising a “comprehensive bill” to address the issue �" among his Democratic caucus’s major priorities.

      

       "We know a lot of parents and families are concerned about this,” Turco said. “It's an issue that's been affecting people since before the pandemic, which has compounded and complicated this further."