Bill Overview
Title: Improving Mental Health in Schools Act
Description: This bill includes certain mental health professionals as specialized instructional support personnel for purposes of elementary and secondary education. Specifically, the bill revises the definition of specialized instructional support personnel in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include qualified mental health professionals involved in providing mental health services for students. These professionals include, among others, marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, and clinical psychologists.
Sponsors: Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-10]
Target Audience
Population: Students and educational staff who will benefit from enhanced mental health support in schools
Estimated Size: 50450000
- The bill targets elementary and secondary school students across various educational settings.
- Mental health professionals, including marriage and family therapists and clinical psychologists, are included in the definition which reflects broad inclusion.
- The policy impacts education systems globally, particularly in countries with similar schooling structures like the US.
- Availability of resources could increase the scope of affected students, as more professionals become part of the educational environment.
Reasoning
- The policy targets a broad set of stakeholders, including students who benefit directly from enhanced mental health support, and educational staff who experience a change in their work environment.
- The budget limits the number of professionals that can be hired and trained, likely focusing resources on high-need areas first.
- Impacts vary based on existing mental health resources in schools, with underserved areas seeing the greatest improvement.
- Immediate effects on wellbeing might be modest year-over-year but could accumulate significantly over two decades.
Simulated Interviews
High School Student (New York, NY)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm really anxious about college and could use someone to talk to.
- Having someone familiar with mental health at school would make it easier to get help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Middle School Teacher (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having mental health professionals on campus could help my students focus better.
- It might also relieve some pressure from teachers to act as counselors.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
School Principal (Chicago, IL)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Mental health is a serious need and we lack the resources to address it.
- This policy could help us offer better support to our students.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Austin, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Being included as specialized instructional support means new job opportunities within schools.
- This policy could lead to a more integrated approach to student health.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
High School Student (Rural Kentucky)
Age: 17 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- There aren't any specialists in my area to talk to, even if I wanted to.
- If these services were at school, I'd definitely use them.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Parent and PTA member (Miami, FL)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My child struggles with focus and could benefit from specialized support.
- Having a therapist at school would be a game changer for us.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Journalist (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is a significant step forward in recognizing the importance of mental health.
- The challenge will be in effective implementation within budget constraints.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
School counselor (Seattle, WA)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Additional mental health staff would provide students with needed support.
- This would alleviate some of my own workload, allowing me to better focus on students in need.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Government official (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Allocating resources efficiently is crucial for this policy to succeed.
- There needs to be accountability and evaluation mechanisms to assess impact.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
High School Student (Detroit, MI)
Age: 15 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I often feel alone dealing with my problems.
- If there were someone at school to talk to, things might not seem so overwhelming.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $2500000000)
Year 2: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $2500000000)
Year 3: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $2500000000)
Year 5: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $2500000000)
Year 10: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $2500000000)
Year 100: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $2500000000)
Key Considerations
- Availability of qualified mental health professionals and the potential need for training programs.
- Integration within existing educational systems and potential resistance from stakeholders.
- Long-term benefits on educational attainment and overall societal health outcomes.