May 9, 2007
Senate Bills Address Child Mental Health

Two bills introduced in the United States Senate May 8 call attention to the need for school-based and other mental health services to children. The Mental Health in Schools Act, S. 1332, notes that of the 95,000 public schools in the United States, only half report having formal partnerships with community mental health providers to deliver mental health services, though recent studies indicate one in five children has a diagnosable mental disorder and one in ten children has an emotional or behavioral disorders that is severe enough to cause substantial impairment in functioning at school or in the community. “Our schools are important settings for recognizing and addressing children’s mental disorders. In fact, schools often function as the de facto mental health system for children and adolescents,” said bill sponsor Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), who said the Mental Health in Schools Act is intended to “assist local communities in developing comprehensive school mental health programs that provide a continuum of services for students.” A second bill introduced May 8, S. 1337, would amend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to prohibit limits on mental health care in SCHIP plans by directing that mental health or substance abuse services must be no more restrictive than the financial requirements or treatment limits that apply to other medical services. “America’s kids who are covered through SCHIP should be guaranteed that the mental health benefits they receive are just as comprehensive as those for medical and surgical care,” said bill sponsor Senator John Kerry (D-MA). The bills can be read and tracked at website http://thomas.loc.gov.