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California News
CALIFORNIA NEWS Legislation Tackles Student Mental Health Crisis
Teenage Suicides Increase After Pandemic Closes Public Schools
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Amid growing concern about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teens’ mental health, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills) on Jan. 26 introduced legislation to enable educators to better identify and address student mental health issues.
Jointly authored with Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), Chair of the Assembly Education Committee, the measure—known as Assembly Bill 309—would require the state Department of Education to create a model mental health referral protocol for use by schools across California. These protocols would provide guidance to help educators better identify students with mental health needs and quickly and efficiently connect them with appropriate services.
Teachers are often the first to notice changes in student behavior that can signal mental health issues, yet many educators report a lack of preparedness and the shift to remote learning makes this even more of a challenge. Research shows early detection and treatment of mental illness improves students’ attendance, behavior, and academic achievement.
“Like parents across California, I’m deeply concerned about the impact the pandemic has had on our kids’ mental health and emotional wellbeing,” said Gabriel. “California already was facing a student mental health crisis, and there are concerning signs that the situation has gotten worse as a result of the social isolation and disruption of the past year. This important legislation will equip our teachers with better tools and resources so that they can help our students navigate these extremely challenging times. This will be especially important as we look to reopen our schools and bring students back into the classroom after months of distance learning.”
Recent data suggests the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated mental health issues among school-aged youth. New data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show the proportion of emergency room visits related to mental health crises has increased dramatically for young children and adolescents since the start of the pandemic. Another recent CDC report found 25 percent of respondents between the ages of 18-24 had contemplated suicide in the previous 30 days. In Las Vegas, rising suicide rates --18 students ended their lives since March — have prompted officials to consider opening schools more quickly than planned. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, one in five children exhibited signs of a mental health disorder, with California adolescents reporting even higher rates of depressive symptoms than the national average.
“The mental health of California’s children and youth, already at a crisis point, is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are seeing ever-increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation among our young people. AB 309 will provide model protocols that will enable our teachers and other school staff to connect students with the help they need in an appropriate and timely way,” said O’Donnell, who chairs the Assembly Education Committee.
“As California moves towards recovery in the coming months and years, ensuring that students have access to needed mental health support will be crucial to ensuring an equitable recovery,” said Debbie Raucher, Education Director for John Burton Advocates for Youth. “AB 309 will provide educators with the tools that they need to make this a reality.” n
AB 309 is expected to be heard in Assembly committees in the coming months.
Hospice Reforms Signed into Law
By Jondi Gumz
The Helping Our Senior Population in Comfort Environments (HOSPICE) Act, introduced Feb. 10 by U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) and U.S. Rep. Tom Reed (R-New York) is now law.
This legislation mandates oversight and transparency of Medicare hospice providers.
It was passed by the House unanimously as part of the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act. Then the BENES Act was folded into the FY2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which was signed by the president on Dec. 22. standards those in their care deserve,” said Panetta. “Our legislation increases transparency and accountability to support the safety and wellbeing of hospice caregivers and those in their care.” In July 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released two reports that identified significant deficiencies in the quality of care for Medicare hospice enrollees.
According to the two reports, 87 percent of hospices had at least one care deficiency between 2012 and 2016.
Twenty percent had at least one serious deficiency, meaning that the health and safety of a beneficiary were in jeopardy.
