Posted: | April 14, 2022 02:55 PM |
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From: | Senator John I. Kane |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Children’s Mental Health Ombudsman |
Pennsylvania’s youth are experiencing a mental health crisis. We saw evidence of this before the pandemic, and that trend has been exacerbated ever since. Mental health has been cited as the leading cause of disability between the ages of 10-24 years old. Furthermore, depression rates among young people have doubled in the past decade, with the sharpest uptick over the past two years. Due to historical inequities, challenges with youth mental health are even greater in minority communities. These issues will only continue unless we take systemic action to address it. The good news is that research shows that increasing rates of mental health issues are treatable with the proper support and resources. To give our younger generation a better shot at success, we must improve youth mental health services in our Commonwealth. My bill would be a companion bill to Rep. John T. Galloway’s H.B. 404, which creates a statewide children’s mental health ombudsman. The ombudsman would have authority and duties to:
Please join me in cosponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as SB1269