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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 6, 2020 10:25 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative John T. Galloway |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | School-Linked Mental Health Grants |
| There is a growing and unmet need for mental health services for our children. Although approximately one in six children and adolescents in the U.S. experience a mental health problem during their school years, such as anxiety and depression, nearly 50% of students do not receive the treatment they need due to stigma and lack of access to services. It is no secret that poor mental health in students can lead to academic and behavioral problems, dropping out and delinquency. Research does show that, of the students who do receive mental health services, nearly two thirds do so only in school. It is for this reason that I am introducing legislation to provide grants to support school-linked mental health services. These grants can be used to identify and diagnose mental health conditions among students, fund transportation for children receiving school-linked mental health services when school is out of session and cover costs associated with delivering telemedicine to school children, in addition to other services. My legislation is a commonsense solution to expand access to mental health treatment for children by leveraging an institution they are already using; schools. Please join me in this effort to address the growing mental health crisis among our children. (Prior HB 2194) |
Introduced as HB407