A bill that would allow students at K-12 schools in Ohio to take days off to deal with mental health issues is going to be introduced for the third time in the state legislature. And the sponsor said he is working out the details that he thinks will ensure the third try will be a success.
“The intent behind the bill is to one, create a greater conversation about some of the mental health needs that our kids are dealing with but then, two, it creates a safe space where they can address some of the things that they are going through," said Sen. Willis Blackshear (D-Dayton).
Blackshear said the current generation of kids is dealing with more stress than their predecessors.
“The youth of today are going through a lot more than the youth of yesterday with social media, peer pressure, 24/7 news cycles, you name it,” Blackshear said. “And I believe that it is important and imperative that we take our kids mental health serious and we try to find solutions to address it."
The bill will not require direct intervention by mental health providers because they are not available in many schools. But it would protect students from disciplinary actions or academic penalties. Blackshear said he’s working on details that have come up in the past.
“We understand that we have chronic absenteeism here in the state and folks brought up the point of making sure the kids aren’t abusing this,” Blackshear said. ”We understand some of the flaws, but the point is that we need to do something in terms of addressing this head on.”
The bill would not require a parent to take a child for mental health treatment or provide proof of such a visit to use the absence. Blackshear said the bill also would allow schools to establish a mental health program for students to attend instead of regular classes.
