Providing Mental Health Education to Students is Critical – and Achievable.
We are excited to share our latest report, "Providing Mental Health Education to Students is Critical – and Achievable." Mental health challenges are one of the leading causes of illness among young people, yet in 2020, California ranked 48th in the nation for providing needed mental health care to children. We can do better.
This report shines a light on the implementation of Senate Bill 224, which mandates mental health instruction in middle and high school health classes. However, many students are still left behind. Our brief calls for expanding mental health education to all California schools, so no student misses out on essential mental health resources.
Half of all mental health disorders begin by age 14, yet the majority of youth needs go undetected and untreated. This is why expanding access to mental health education is critical to addressing the growing crisis.