Underwood’s Legislation to Help Schools Address the Youth Mental Health Crisis Passes the House

WASHINGTON – Last week, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s (IL-14) Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act passed the House of Representatives as part of the Mental Health Matters Act, a package of bills that provide solutions to America’s growing mental health crisis. Underwood’s Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act would establish a grant program to help schools recruit and retain school-based mental health professionals, addressing a severe shortage and meeting students’ mental health needs. 

“In April, I held a discussion with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to hear from students in my community about the mental health challenges they are facing. Their experiences were a crucial reminder that access to mental and behavioral health care services for young people is essential,” said Underwood. “I’m committed to strengthening mental health resources for students, schools, and communities. I’m pleased to see the House pass my Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, an important step in improving wellbeing for our young people.” 

The United States’ growing youth mental health crisis has been exacerbated by the pandemic and could have wide-ranging, long-term effects on an entire generation. Young people with access to mental health services in their school are 10 times more likely to seek care than youth without access to these services, but many schools do not have the resources they need to meet their students’ mental health needs.  

·         The recommended student-to-counselor ratio is 250 students per counselor, but the national average is 415 students per counselor, and Illinois’ average is 665 students per counselor. 

·         For school psychologists, the recommended ratio is 500 students per provider, but the national average is 1,162 students per provider, and Illinois’ average is 1,290 students per provider. 

·         For school social workers, the recommended ratio is 250 students per social worker, but the national average is 2,106 students per social worker, and Illinois’ average is 741 students per social worker. 

Underwood’s Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, which she introduced with Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), would provide schools with funding to help them meet the recommended mental health professional-to-student ratios. 

The Mental Health Matters Act also helps grow the school-based mental health workforce by strengthening the pipeline of school-based mental health professionals.

Underwood has long been an advocate for improved mental health resources for young people. Recently, Underwood led a bipartisan effort to address the worsening youth mental health crisis by securing a nearly 700% funding increase in the Fiscal Year 2022 federal spending package for two grant programs at the Department of Education. The Mental Health Matters Act would expand these programs and make them permanent. Learn more about the legislation here.

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