Illinois is becoming the first state to implement universal mental health screenings for students, after legislation signed Thursday by Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Governor Pritzker was in Evanston to sign Illinois Senate Bill 1560 into law, saying "access to mental health care, especially for children, is too often overlooked or ignored."
Illinois State Senator Laura Fine was one of the sponsors of the bill and said, "today we are reaching out to every Illinois student who has ever felt unseen, unheard, isolated, or is silently battling emotional distress. Senate Bill 1560 is a declaration that our children's mental health matters as much as their physical well-being."
Illinois State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders was also at the bill signing in Evanston, noting that "the earlier we identify the need, the better support we can provide to students to help them thrive in school and in life."
Some of those behind the measure say young people today face more mental challenges than ever due to bullying on social media, the threat of school shootings, and climate change.
Illinois State Senator Sara Feigenholtz of Chicago was one of the sponsors of the measure, saying, "we have to tackle this staggering of youth mental health. The increased rates of sadness, hopelessness, provide a fertile place for tough school work and kids who do not succeed. It's what we have to work on."
Dr. Dana Weiner works with the state's Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative and told legislators, parents and students, that "what we have heard from families and from young people is that an annual check on sadness, worry, fear, and other problems would help to identify young people who need to talk before they experience the crises that require more serious, even hospital-based interventions."
Illinois is the first state to mandate such extensive mental health screening for children. The mandatory screenings will begin in the 2027-2028 school year.
Parents and guardians will have the ability to opt out of the mental health screenings for their children if they don’t want them to participate.