We’ve had a busy month making progress on mental health. 

A historic number of Governors across the country have made mental health a priority in their State of the State speeches this year. This is a huge step forward, and we have taken to social media to cheer them on. 

For too long, mental health has been left out of the health care discussion. Now, we are seeing real acknowledgment of the importance of mental health care, especially for our youth.

We hope you’ll help us keep the momentum going by supporting our movement for mental health with a contribution.

Now, let’s take a look at some other big moments this month!  

In Colorado, Angela supported SB23-1003, the School Mental Health Assessment in Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services. This bill tackles the youth mental health crisis by supporting mental health screenings for students in grades 6-12. Angela also provided written testimony for SB23-091, a bill that allows children who have had certain life experiences to receive mental health care without requiring a mental health diagnosis.

In Maryland, Angela lent her support for HB82 in the House Health and Government Operations Committee and SB201 in the Senate Finance Committee. These bills extend the state’s Medicaid program to allow school mental health professionals to bill for the services they provide, which would increase federal funds to support mental health services for students.

Our advocacy in states across the country is critical to achieving long-overdue progress, so, if you can, please make a donation to support our work on the ground.

We’d also like to spotlight a powerful opinion piece in The Root by our own Keris Jän Myrick, who serves as the Vice President of Partnerships. In You Okay, Sis? No, Not Really, Keris reflects on her experience as a Black suicide attempt survivor and calls for our country to take action to support Black mental health. 

More than 19 million people in the United States struggle with depression and Black Americans are overrepresented in that number, according to Mental Health America.

“From the Surgeon General, who sounded the alarm about youth mental health in 2021, to the nation’s leading pediatric groups, which deemed the youth mental health crisis a “national emergency” that same year, to even President Biden laying out a national mental health strategy to address the issue – the problem couldn’t be more clear…It is time for our country to take seriously the urgent need to focus on Black youth mental health.” —  Keris Jän Myrick, You Okay, Sis? No, Not Really, The Root

• On Feb. 15, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte announced a $2.1 million grant to the Rural Behavioral Health Institute to essentially fund what HB 252 proposed — free optional mental health and substance abuse screenings for all schools statewide and same-day care for students flagged as being at high risk for suicide.
• One in five students will develop a significant mental health problem during their school years, and roughly seven in ten students who need mental health treatment will not get appropriate care, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
• Screening for behavioral and mental health issues has become more prevalent in schools and can help identify students at risk or in need of intervention, according to SAMHSA.

• The state of mental health in Wisconsin is a “quiet, burgeoning crisis,” and that includes unmet mental health needs in schools, Governor Tony Evers said during his State of the State address.
• He dubbed 2023 “the year of mental health” and laid out a long list of proposals to address that cause. The wish list totals $500 million over two fiscal years, and more than a half of the proposed funding relates to education.

• Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), 53, has checked into Walter Reed Medical Center to receive in-patient treatment for clinical depression.
• His willingness to both disclose his medical condition and the treatment he’s sought is also a major step toward normalizing such conversations.

• A new bill with bipartisan support calls for improved mental health support for educators as teachers, principals, and school staff members continue to struggle with depression, burnout, and stress.
• Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, D-OR, Brian Fitzpatrick, R-PA, and Susan Wild, D-PA, introduced the Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act in the House of Representatives in early February.
• The bill would authorize funding and establish more resources to help teachers, principals, and other school staff members with mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, and depression.

— Team Inseparable

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