Students are suffering from various mental health issues, yet research shows that students, especially adolescents, receive lower amounts of mental health support than their older counterparts.
To help expand help and support to children, Reps. Marie Newman (D-IL) and Chris Stewart (R-UT) have created the Student Mental Health Helpline Act.
This bill would create a grant program to support existing and new state student mental health and safety helplines.
The helplines would be accessible via various channels, including texting and social media. The measure also mandates that SAMHSA provide a study on the viability of establishing a nationwide student mental health and safety hotline.
To the degree authorized by HIPAA privacy requirements, the services must be free, confidential, and available 24 /7. They must also offer information to school administrators concerning student health and safety problems.
This bill has also received support from the APA. This bill was introduced in September of last year and has thus far been introduced to the house.
This legislation is critical because it guarantees more equitable access to mental health treatment. Access to mental health services for low-income adolescents is limited to educational settings, implying that students are left without mental health assistance outside of school.
The Student Mental Health Helpline Act would ensure 24-hour support for students whenever needed. To support this bill, I will leave some links down below where you can send a message to your representatives.
Links
*On the right-hand corner of this page, you can click on the blue link that says “contact your member,” put in your zip code, and contact a representative of your choice in your area about the bill.
https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/NBCCGrassroots/Campaigns/88698/Respond
*An automated message has already been created for you with this link that you can send to your representative. However, you can customize your message if you’d like.
References
Ensuring that K-12 students experiencing a mental health crisis have access to timely support. https://www.apaservices.org. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.apaservices.org/advocacy/news/students-mental-health-support
Please support H.R.5235 – student mental health helpline act of 2021. Grassroots & Grasstops Digital Advocacy Software. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/NBCCGrassroots/Campaigns/88698/Respond
H.R.5235 – Student Mental Health Helpline Act of 2021. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/
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