The committee tasked with studying young people’s mental health made recommendations to the state Legislature Oct. 1.
The group proposed measures to shore up the state’s youth mental health workforce, enhance behavioral health training for school officials and school resource officers and screen students statewide for mental health concerns.
“Our mental health resources are so sparse and stretched,” said State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney at the task force’s final meeting on Sept. 18.
Other proposals included requiring all school districts and colleges to partner with their local community mental health center, inventorying available mental health resources in the state and requiring that school districts issue policies on the use of cell phones in the classroom.
The K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Task Force, composed of legislators, state officials, mental health and education professionals and one student, met five times from July to September to hear from youth mental health experts and state leaders.