On May 3, APA participated in the Congressional Mental Health Caucus’s May Mental Health Awareness Month legislative briefing on “Examining the Benefits of School-Based Mental Health Services.” APA worked closely with the staff of caucus co-chair Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA), as well as with key coalition partners from Mental Health America, on a program for the briefing, which highlighted data on the mental health needs of youth and students, including from APA’s Stress in America™ survey. The briefing also featured anecdotal stories from panelists, which included a school psychologist, a superintendent, and youth advocates, and steps Congress can take to address mental health services in schools.
APA’s Advocacy Office partnered with APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools to invite two of the panelists: Dwayne Williams, a licensed school psychologist at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois; and Amanda Williams, a senior at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who is a leader in the school’s peer-to-peer mental health support system.
As Congress continues to work on comprehensive mental health legislation, this briefing is an important opportunity to uplift the value of school-based mental health services to addressing the emotional, developmental, and academic needs of young people. Featuring voices of students and psychologists working in schools puts a human face on these issues and can be a powerful tool in compelling federal action.
For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.