SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Governor JB Pritzker has signed a new law mandating universal mental health screenings for school children, set to begin in the 2027-28 school year. The law requires school districts to offer free mental health screenings to all students from third through twelfth grade, although parents can opt their children out if they choose.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is tasked with providing resources and model policies to schools by September 1, 2026, to prepare for the screenings. However, concerns have been raised about the availability of staff to conduct these screenings.
“There’s not enough counselors and social workers and psychiatrists and psychologists working inside of our schools,” said Dr. Tony Sanders, Superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education.
Dr. Ayame Takahashi, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry from SIU Medicine said, “Most schools do have social workers and they have nurses. I would say most schools don’t have a nurse who’s there full time, but maybe they share the nurse between multiple schools within the same district.”
To address staffing shortages, ISBE has introduced incentives for individuals to become licensed counselors and social workers. “We remove barriers so that people can come and work in public schools,” said Sanders. The state board is also exploring community health partnerships to support mental health services in schools.
“If you talk to principals and superintendents across this state, they’re all looking for ways to bring in mental health supports for their students,” Sanders added.
Communication with parents is a key focus, with Dr. Takahashi saying, “If they’re going to be screening for mental health, it would have to be explicit that if somebody’s showing signs of great distress that they would have to contact the parent.”
School districts will not be responsible for developing a screening tool, as it will be provided by ISBE. Despite reaching out, school districts in Decatur, Jacksonville, and Springfield have not commented on the new law, preferring to concentrate on the upcoming school year.