This seems like a nice thing for the government to do …
Pritzker signed this bill into law Thursday, so let's see what it's all about.
From Pritzker's office:
Under current Illinois law, screening every student in every grade enrolled each year is not required, and therefore district oversights and limited screening resources make it difficult to identify and address mental health issues that cause barriers to learning. As part of an ongoing initiative to implement universal mental health screening in Illinois schools by the 2027-28 school year, SB1560 consists of two major legislation changes.
The bill requires all school districts to offer mental health screenings to students enrolled in grades 3 through 12, at least once a year, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.
The bill requires ISBE to provide resource materials for schools to implement universal mental health screenings, including model policies and guidance by Sept 1, 2026.
The State will further support this initiative by providing public schools with free access to screening tools and associated technology.
Again, this seems like a nice thing, but uhh, it is the government though.
Abigail Shrier has some thoughts 👇
I sure hope this doesn't happen, but it seems like the logical end in Illinois.
Some relieving context from that link Pritzker provided:
The mental health screenings would be self-assessed, with students being able to take the screening on a tablet or a form, according to Dana Weiner, chief officer for the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative under the governor's office, and who was credited for laying the foundation for the piece of legislation.
Parents can opt their students out of mental health screenings if they wish, Weiner added.
The screenings are a form of detection, and are not meant to serve as a diagnosis, according to state Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), who chairs the mental health committee.
This new program starts in 2027, but if I'm an Illinois parent, I'm opting my kid out right this second.
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