ATLANTA — Gov. Nathan Deal must lead efforts to improve the mental health of Georgia’s children, a high-ranking education official said Thursday.

Garry McGiboney, the state’s deputy school superintendent of external affairs, told an education forum that Deal’s office should spearhead efforts to ensure children have access to health services.

“The people are there. The heart is there. The need is there. The will is there,” he said at a Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education meeting.

Bringing those elements together, he added, is “going to have to come from the governor’s office.”

Deal’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

About 4 in 5 children in Georgia who need behavioral health services do not receive them, according to Voices for Georgia’s Children, an Atlanta-based advocacy group.

That’s partly because half of the state’s counties do not have a licensed psychologist. One-third have no mental health professionals.

Lawmakers are aware of the service gap. A House committee studied the issue last fall and made recommendations that include student loan forgiveness for mental health professionals who agree to work exclusively with children, and using the Internet and digital technology to broaden access to services in areas that don’t have it.

Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, a member of the group, said he was stunned by what he learned.

“Twenty percent of all our children have a diagnosable mental health problem. That sticks with me,” said Jasperse, who also participated in Thursday’s forum.

The House committee recommended the state keep expanding a program that helps schools develop strategies to improve the learning environment through a reduction in disciplinary incidents. Lawmakers have gradually increased funding for the program.

McGiboney said businesses and religious organizations insist on positive environments, and schools should, too.

“That’s not a goal; I’m tired of goals,” he said. “That should be an expectation.”

Improving the school environment will help retain teachers and lead to better academic performance among students, he said.

Division of Family and Children Services Director Bobby Cagle, whose agency works with nearly 13,000 foster children, said he’s not looking to Deal to champion reform.

That effort should begin with those who live and work with children in need of services, he said.

“We need to come at it from the perspective of the people who suffer from the problem,” he said.

Emily Pelton, director of Voices for Georgia’s Children, said she agrees that change must start with those who best know a child’s needs.

But she also called on the governor to lead the effort.

“I think it does take the power of the governor to convene something this broad and this complex and have it stick,” she said.