SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Some students at the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School will pass S.346, a bill that would require at least one mental health professional for every 250 students in all K-12 schools in Massachusetts. We are lobbying for this.
What you need to know
- Three Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School students are lobbying for S.346, a bill that would require at least one mental health professional for every 250 students in all K-12 schools in Massachusetts.
- This idea was inspired by an assignment I was given in my 11th grade civics class.
- Several Chicopee Public Schools students have been struggling late lately.
- The city has been very proactive in addressing mental health, including hiring more staff from school adjustment counselors to social workers.
History teacher Gary Huggett said the idea was inspired by an assignment given in his 11th grade civics class.
He said these particular students felt the need to address anxiety, depression and other mental illness issues that they and several of their classmates were experiencing in the classroom.
“They all had somewhat of a personal stake in the topic that attracted them, so we asked ourselves, ‘What can we do to make mental health awareness in schools really survive beyond our little project?’ “I thought about it,” Haggett said.
South Hadley public schools aren’t alone. In 2020, 45% of 14- to 24-year-olds reported symptoms of depression, such as feelings of sadness or hopelessness, on most days for at least two weeks, according to a 2022 report from the Western Massachusetts Public Health Institute. That’s what it means. .
Chicopee Public Schools Director of Social and Emotional Learning Abby Tenzal said several students have been struggling as well recently.
“We were seeing an increase even before the pandemic,” Tenzal said. “And after the pandemic, we’ve seen a lot more symptoms. We’ve also seen a lot of anxiety and depression and substance use disorders. Eating disorders are also common.”
Tenzal said the Chicopee School District has been very proactive in its mental health efforts recently, including adding staff from school adjustment counselors to social workers.
“Right now, we have three activists in this district,” Tenzal said. “We’ve added 10 to 12 mental health staff to our team over the past few years as we’ve brought on new substance use prevention experts.”
Mr Huggett said the students had been very active in the challenge, including talking directly with local representatives about the issue earlier this winter.
The office of Sen. Rausch, who introduced the bill, told Spectrum News that the bill is currently being overseen by the Joint Committee on Education, which will issue a favorable report next month or send it for investigation. He said a vote will be held.
Huggett says there’s still a lot of work to be done anyway, but giving young people the opportunity to make a difference in their own communities can go a long way in keeping them healthy, not just in school. He said there is.
“All of this has really helped bring kids here to learn, and that’s what’s really important,” Huggett said.
Sen. Rausch’s office said the deadline to make a decision on next steps on bill S.346 is March 15.
