A woman whose teenage son took his own life in 2017 is urging New Hampshire lawmakers to pass legislation allowing students in grades K-12 excused absences from school to deal with mental health issues.
Martha Dickey told the state House Education Committee on Tuesday that the new proposal would help reduce the stigma of mental illness and help raise awareness that such conditions often interfere with a child's education.
"A mental health day is not intended for a student to avoid classes or assignments, rather an approved mental health absence can help open the door for schools to assist struggling students with overall mental health care," Dickey said, per the Associated Press.
Under the bill, students receiving an excused absence due to a mental or behavioral health issue would be considered present for that day. The school must also provide students an opportunity to make up the work they missed, and grades could not be adversely affected by a lack of class attendance or participation due to mental or behavioral health related excused absences. The bill does not limit the amount of absences that may be excused for mental health.
If passed, New Hampshire would join 12 other states that have similar laws.
"Removing this barrier of having an absence on their report card removes the stigma of having mental illness and also improves the ability for students to take that time without fear of negative consequences to their grades and other aspects of their education," Emma Sevigny of New Futures, a health advocacy group, told the AP.
Dickey has been an advocate for legislation to improve suicide prevention resources since the death of her son, Jason. She helped create two laws that passed in the state: one that requires the telephone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline printed on the back of every student ID card -- known as the Jason Dickey Suicide Prevention Act -- and another that requires schools to have a plan for training, prevention and response to suicides.
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