A Pennsylvania lawmaker is proposing legislation to reduce barriers to mental health care for children by bringing mental health services directly into schools. Democratic State Rep. Manuel Guzman Jr., representing Berks County, plans to introduce legislation for Pennsylvania to join the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, which would allow licensed school psychologists to obtain specific credentials to practice within member states. Currently, seven states are members: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, and West Virginia.
The Crisis and Access Gap
“The children’s mental health is in a crisis state,” said Christine Michaels, CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Keystone Pennsylvania (NAMI). Across Pennsylvania, 98,000 kids between ages 12 and 17 are diagnosed with depression, but 57 percent are unable to receive care. The National Association of School Psychologists recommends one school psychologist for every 500 students, but the national average is nearly double that ratio, making it difficult for families to obtain appointments.
According to Michaels, “The primary need is to be able to get the care at the time that you’re in need of it.” She believes the solution involves bringing mental health services to schools, where children spend most of their days. “If you can bring mental health into the schools, then you can get to the kids faster,” she said. A critical worker shortage compounds the access problem, limiting the number of school psychologists available to serve students.
Anticipated Impact
A spokesperson for Guzman told media they plan to share the official bill in coming weeks. Michaels expressed hope that the legislation moves forward, noting: “Any time we can increase the number of children that are getting seen and getting treated and evaluated, that’s great.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pennsylvania-bill-mental-health-services-school/