BY SEN. JACKY ROSEN (D-NEV.), OPINION CONTRIBUTORTHE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL

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One of the most damaging impacts of the #pandemic is the toll it has taken on our nation’s #students — many of whom are struggling with feelings of #grief, #anxiety, #isolation, and #depression brought on by the enormous difficulties of this #pandemic. #COVID-19 has only exacerbated the numerous challenges that our #students have faced over the past few years.

Our #kids have been facing unprecedented stresses. From the loss of loved ones and caregivers, to economic uncertainty, to #socialisolation, this added #stress has put a crushing weight on the shoulders of our #students — and we are seeing the heartbreaking results before our very eyes.

Nationally, nearly two out of every three young people have expressed feeling down or depressed during the #pandemic. In 2020, in Nevada’s Clark County #School District alone #students died by #suicide at a rate twice that of the year prior. These are not just statistics; these are 20 #children — from fourth grade up through #highschool — who will never get to live out their futures, and families and communities devastated with unimaginable pain and grief.

Although we’ve made important strides to overcome many aspects of the #pandemic by getting #parents back to work and getting our #kids safely back in classrooms, too many of our #students are still suffering. We must take action to address the #mentalhealthchallenges that our #children face and drive down this surge of #student #anxiety, #depression, and suicides.

I’m not alone in recognizing the serious and urgent nature of this situation. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of #Child and #Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association have declared a national emergency in #child and #adolescent #mentalhealth. Additionally, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has released an advisory focused on supporting #youth #mentalhealth, in which he writes: “It would be a tragedy if we beat back one public health crisis only to allow another to grow in its place.”

Arguably, one of the greatest challenges #schools now face is the sheer number of #students in our #schools who are in need of #mentalhealthservices. #Schools already struggled to provide sufficient counseling and resources to those #students, and the #pandemic has only exacerbated this shortage. Courageous #teachers and #counselors are doing their best to address children’s #mentalhealth needs in the face of underfunding and understaffing. We must provide #schools with additional resources, which we can do through a change in federal policy.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

http://www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

The #SubstanceAbuseandMentalHealthServicesAdministration (#SAMHSA) is a federal agency that has been supporting invaluable, lifesaving #mentalhealth programs for decades. However, while direct funding assistance from #SAMHSA is currently available for colleges and universities, the agency has never been allowed to provide these resources directly to K-12 #school districts.

That’s why I’m working to pass the #Youth #MentalHealthandSuicidePrevention Act. This bipartisan legislation, which I wrote and introduced with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), would finally authorize SAMHSA to fund comprehensive, equitable, and evidence-based resources and programs in K-12 #schools to promote #student #mentalhealth, support #students in crisis, and help prevent #student suicides. This bill would support a wide range of #mentalhealth evaluation, planning, programming, and #suicideprevention strategies in our #schools, including through the use of training programs for #students and #school staff to respond effectively to #mentalhealthchallenges, and telehealth to conduct #suiciderisk and #mentalhealth screenings.

During a recent Senate hearing, I asked #mentalhealthexperts whether making this change would be an effective solution toward addressing the #mentalhealthcrisis, and the response was resoundingly positive. This legislation has also garnered the support of the #AmericanPsychologicalAssociation, the #AmericanFoundationforSuicidePrevention, the #TrevorProject, and many other #student and #mentalhealth advocacy organizations — including #school districts across my state of Nevada.

Amid this #student #mentalhealthcrisis, this bipartisan bill with growing support would be a major step in the right direction for our #kids. I won’t stop fighting until we take action.

Jacky Rosen is a Democratic Senator from Nevada and a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions — which oversees health and education issues.

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https://standingabovethecrowd.com/2022/10/jamesdonaldson-on-mentalhealth-the-time-to-address-the-student-mentalhealthcrisis-is-now/