State Rep. John Galloway plans to introduce two bills that would expand access to mental health resources for students.
The Democratic state lawmaker from Falls Township said he is introducing the bills in response to a growing number of children and teenagers suffering from mental health issues.
Here’s how Galloway’s office explains the bills:
Galloway’s first bill would provide grants to support school-linked mental health services. These grants could be used to identity 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.
Galloway’s second bill would establish a statewide children’s mental health ombudsman to help expand access to mental health resources for children and to identify systemic issues in access to treatment. The ombudsman would advocate for children with mental health disorders; identify barriers to effective mental health treatment; monitor compliance with laws pertaining to children’s behavioral health services; and receive, investigate and attempt to resolve complaints regarding violations by regulated entities and government agencies that may have an adverse effect on the health, safety welfare or rights of children.
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The 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health found that one in six American children between the ages of 6 and 17 had a treatable mental health disorder ranging from depression to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Galloway’s office said only about half of the students with mental health disorders receive counseling. Those who are not treated can struggle in the classroom, deal with behavioral problems, and can have troubling attending school. After time, those issue can lead to abuse of substances and run-ins with the law.
“Mental health issues, if left untreated, can lead to serious problems later in life. Early detection and treatment of mental health issues literally saves lives, mitigating the effects of the illnesses and by giving our children the skills to cope with them,” Galloway said.
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“No child should be left behind to suffer,” he added.
