House Education Committees Examine Mental Health Barriers in the Classroom

ST. PAUL, MN – Two House Education Committees held a joint hearing today to learn about the status of mental health services available to Minnesota students. Student support personnel, licensed mental health professionals, educators and advocates spoke about the mental health challenges students encounter inside and outside of the classroom.

“As I talk to educators around the state, student mental health concerns are on the top of everyone’s list of barriers to success and well-being,” said Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis), Chair of the K-12 Education Finance Division. “Our responsibility as legislators and adults should be to break down barriers so students and families can thrive. Today’s hearing allows us to hear directly from a broad group of stakeholders with insights into challenges and potential solutions.”

Sue Abderholden, Executive Director of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) highlighted the urgency of addressing the mental health crisis among youth in schools due to a spike in suicide rates. Additional investments in student-linked mental health grants could contribute to lowering these statistics. Continue reading “House Education Committees Examine Mental Health Barriers in the Classroom”