Placing chaplains in public school districts has become a national trend, with New York becoming the latest state to embrace the idea.
“Lots of states are looking to have safer schools, provide faith-based mental healthcare. And New York is just one of the new states added to the list,” Rocky Malloy, Chief Executive Officer of the National School Chaplain Association, told CBN News.
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and Kansas are among the states that have chaplains in schools.
Malloy says the primary need for these chaplains is to address what he calls “the plague level” of student suicide.
“Every state in the United States suffers with having children killing themselves,” explained Malloy. “It’s the number one cause of death for young people, either that or suicide by drugs. So, it’s a horrific thing. I mean, when you talk to a parent whose child has taken their own life, they never get over it. So that’s at a plague level. And so, what are schools doing about it? I mean, anyway, chaplains have proven to reduce suicide.”
Malloy also points to the success chaplains have had in the U.S. military to help reduce self-harm through key approaches such as confidential counseling, intervention protocols and spiritual readiness.
“The numbers are so powerful that the military started with the U.S. Army, called something a Strategic Readiness Initiative, to increase the authority and the role of the chaplain,” said Malloy. “And it worked so well, the Marine Corps quickly adopted it, which means the Navy had to increase their chaplain’s corps. And so, then it works so well for the Marine Corps, the Navy start increasing their chaplains. So, if the military is putting more chaplains in service because of reduction of self-harm and harm to others in a garrison, why wouldn’t we deploy those same resources in schools?”
The outcome has had a positive effect on more than just students.
“I’m excited to say that when teachers are engaged with chaplains, they report a higher job satisfaction. They come to work on time, and a lot less resign. That’s a huge problem in our country. We’re losing the brain trust of great teachers because we’re not giving them enough attention and care. So when there’s a chaplain there to care for a teacher, they stay on the job, and they do a better job.”
Meanwhile, Malloy must deal with opposition to the school chaplaincy program based on separation of church and state, something he dismisses as uninformed.
“The biggest pushback is it breaches the separation clause of the First Amendment, which that’s almost ridiculous. There’s 10,000 chaplains paid by the federal and state government. So, maybe what they mean is it’s a breach of the First Amendment only for school.”
In the end, Malloy said chaplains represent God, not a specific denomination, and they function under the free exercise of religion.
“The reason a chaplain opens up Congress every day in prayer is because chaplaincy is federally recognized. They don’t represent a church group; they represent God. That’s what makes the whole difference.”
