The data is undeniable: Too many of our kids today face an unprecedented mental health crisis with suicide inching up to the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A recent Tribune editorial acknowledged the progress made in removing the stigmas associated with mental health but called into question a state bill I sponsored that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law last month. It requires public schools to offer universal mental health screenings to students in grades three through 12.
What motivated me to fight like hell for this law were the years of desperate calls I received from parents, often in tears, not knowing how to support their kids in crisis, as well as young people reaching out in fear because they had nowhere to turn. It’s hard for many parents to navigate the challenges that come with a child who is struggling mentally as it can affect their school, sports or social activities. Sadness, hopelessness and depression too often get chalked up to adolescent angst or growing pains. But my colleagues rallied alongside me and my House co-sponsor, Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, because we recognize the crisis our young people are facing. That’s why the bill passed with a 2-1 margin in the Illinois House and unanimously in the Senate.
Where the editorial falls short is in recognizing that this law is but one step in a decadeslong journey to get ahead of our kids’ mental health challenges. It’s one that I’ve been taking alongside some of the most qualified partners imaginable. This includes folks such as Rep. LaPointe, who has been a champion for youth mental health her entire career; national leaders such as Inseparable, a mental health advocacy organization that fights to put mental health at the forefront of public policy in states across the nation; and local mental health champions such as Dana Weiner, who leads the state’s Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, which created the BEACON portal connecting parents and families with comprehensive behavioral health services and resources.
Letters: By expanding mental health screenings, Illinois has created a structured way to help kids
This law is a critical step in connecting intervention to prevention. The state now has two years to bring this opportunity to life. Over the coming year, it will be developing the tools and processes necessary to deliver a thoughtful, comprehensive screening program. The following year will be spent integrating the program into school districts across the state and communicating with parents and families ahead of when screenings are fully implemented in the 2027-28 school year. While parents are free to opt out of the process, it is my fervent hope that they will recognize the potentially lifesaving benefits to these screenings.
While the editorial cites statistics around false positives in screenings, the benefits of identifying mental health issues on the front end far outweigh any reason to delay. Divorce, family dysfunction, substance abuse, changes in friendships, romantic breakups, social isolation and bullying are examples of what could be seen as “false positives” that are also among the leading causes of child and teenage suicide.
Mental health is mission critical when it comes to the overall well-being of our young people. They deserve to get a jump-start on that early in life just like they would with getting a vaccination or a checkup at the pediatrician. Illinois will be the first state in the nation to implement universal mental health screenings for kids and teenagers, and it’s the right thing to do. This will help us set up our kids for success in life so they can reach their full potential — empowering them and their families to identify their mental health needs at a time in their lives when they’re going to need support the most.
State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, represents the 6th District.
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