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(Montebello, CA)- Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano and L.A. Laker Ron Artest encouraged students at Eastmont Intermediate School in Montebello to seek mental health assistance if needed and called for the passage of HR 2531, the Mental Health in Schools Act, which would provide funding for schools across the country to set up mental health programs for students.
“Everyone has problems in life, and we all need someone we can talk to,” Artest said. “I started seeing a school counselor when I was in junior high school and my parents were going through a divorce, and it helped me out a lot. Now that I’m playing in the NBA, I have different problems and I talk to a sports therapist who can help me sort through the issues I face now. I’m here today to tell you, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it, even if it is from a close friend or family member.”
“Mental health is an issue we have been afraid to talk about for far too long,” Napolitano said. “Children deserve access to the mental health services that make them happier, keep them on track in school, and help them meet their potential. We have to overcome the stigma surrounding mental health and do what is right for the next generation -- the Mental Health in Schools Act would help thousands of students get the support and therapy they need.”
Napolitano is the author of HR 2531, the Mental Health in Schools Act, which would provide grant funding to establish on-site preventive mental health services in public schools, including professional therapists, educational outreach to reduce stigma in the community, and services that are culturally and linguistically appropriate for each community. Eastmont Intermediate is one of 11 schools in Napolitano’s district currently running her mental health program, which she started in 2001 after learning that one in three Latinas has contemplated suicide.
Ron Artest took a stand against mental health stigma in June when he thanked his psychologist after the LA Lakers won the NBA championship, an act that made national headlines and encouraged others not to be afraid to talk about mental health. As a junior high student, he was guided by a school counselor, and he supports the Mental Health in Schools Act as a way to provide therapy for the many students who cannot afford it.
Students also heard from school therapists and an older student who had been helped by the program. Stigma surrounding mental health has been established as one of the greatest barriers to youth seeking care, and the assembly was designed to teach students about school services and make them feel comfortable about using them.
One in five children and adolescents has a diagnosable mental health disorder. Programs administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) have been shown to increase the number of youth attending school regularly from 75% to 81% and the number receiving passing grades from 55% to 66% after one year of participation. Thirty-eight percent of students had better behavior in their first year, and after three years violent incidents had declined by 15%.
“The fact is mental health programs work,” Napolitano said. “Wherever these programs are implemented, grades and attendance go up, violence and behavioral problems go down, and our young people are better equipped to avoid drugs, crime, depression, and suicide. The cost to provide mental health services is low, and we owe these youngsters the basic support they need to grow and move forward.”
“I was thrilled when Congresswoman Napolitano approached me about joining forces with her to support the Mental Health in Schools Act,” Artest said. “For years I have been trying to figure out a way to advocate for kids and teens who could benefit from having access to counseling services. The passage of this bill would provide our youth with access to qualified persons who can help guide our kids into making positive, life-affirming choices and help steer them away from a life filled with drugs, alcohol and violence.”
The Mental Health in Schools Act would provide SAMHSA with $200 million to expand the scope of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students program to provide comprehensive, on-site mental health services for schools across the country. Schools would partner with local nonprofits to hire mental health professionals, train school staff to understand warning signs and risk factors, and educate parents, siblings, and family members.
The new funding is greatly needed. State mental health programs were cut nationally by 4 percent in 2009, 5 percent in 2010, and are estimated to be cut by more than 8% in 2011.
The current recession has also been difficult for children. According to a New York Times/CBS poll, four out of ten unemployed parents say they have noticed behavioral changes in their children since they lost their jobs.
“Mental health is an issue that does not discriminate – it affects all Americans regardless of age, race, or gender,” Napolitano said. “Mental health programs for children are effective, inexpensive, and desperately needed. The time has come to brush aside the stigma surrounding mental health and do what is right for our young people with the Mental Health in Schools Act.”
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