Numerous studies have shown that student mental health ranks highly on the list of challenges facing Pennsylvania school districts. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic exposed widespread struggles with poor mental health, reported feelings of sadness and hopelessness among high school students increased 40% between 2009 and 2019. Research shows that students with poor mental health experience worse academic outcomes and are more likely to engage in destructive behavior including drug use, experiencing violence, and higher risk sexual behaviors.
 
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, schools offer a unique opportunity to identify and provide support to children who are dealing with mental health struggles since children spend so much of their day in the classroom. While most schools offer some form of counseling to students, some have gone the extra mile in ensuring their students aren’t struggling in silence by conducting mental health check-ins. These brief classroom exercises are meant to give students the opportunity to express their feelings or concerns before the start of the school day and provide school personnel a vital screening tool to respond to a student potentially in crisis.
 
My legislation would require public schools to provide daily mental health check-ins to K-12 students. These check-ins would, at a minimum, provide students the opportunity to express how they feel in that moment. Additionally, this bill would require schools to develop a process to respond to students who, through their responses to the check-in, may be experiencing stress, anxiety or depression, or who may be at risk of suicide or self-harm.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to ensure we are supporting our students and protecting their mental health.
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0294: P.L.30, No.14