On July 31, 2025, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 1560, a disastrous bill that will require all public school students in grades 3-12 to undergo universal mental health screenings in 2027.
On today of all days in light of the tragedy in Minneapolis, this topic is most germane. I am not sure fan of Pritzker’s, I respect your experience and expertise, and I understand your concerns but it does seem to me there is a serious need to assess and address mental health, particularly among youth.
I agree that there is a place for assessments for crisis, but not universal assessments. I’m not convinced a school counselor could have helped this situation from today. In fact, politicians will just use high emotions from today’s tragedy to expedite their plan to get more kids dependent on the dysfunctional mental health system.
I’m not sure either but I’ve seen the idea of general health assessments floated in healthcare as well and the idea has appeal. Many of our health and violence problems have are rooted in mental issues, so any interventions which result in appropriate and hopefully successful interventions by mental health professionals may be helpful.
There was a lot more wrong with this dude his gender dysphoria. I don't share your skepticism of the healthcare sector. What would you have us do? Allow such incidents to go without response?
Think about who will be doing these assessments-The very people who affirmed this man’s trans identity when he was minor. In fact, there is a big chance they make it worse. There is risk of too many unintended (and maybe sometimes intended) consequences here.
I can't agree more. At the university where I teach, we are encouraged to be on the lookout for "sad" students. They are then shepherded into the health center, where they're put on anti-depressants. A colleague who somehow became the "ADHD Tutor" is telling students to get on ADHD meds. I called her out on it -- she's not a medical professional! She argued that she's an "expert" because she has ADHD, and could exercise no objectivity whatsoever on the matter of medicalizing people.
In my own case, as a teen in the 70s, I was evaluated by the school counselor when I got in trouble for something. At least I had the foresight to lie and say that everything in my family was fine! It very much was not! But I could tell what they were after, and cut them off at the pass! It was MY job to get through it, and not get the school involved. I also for whatever reason had the confidence in myself to get through it. Who knows why that was, but it was a very different time then: I had an internal locus of control.
On today of all days in light of the tragedy in Minneapolis, this topic is most germane. I am not sure fan of Pritzker’s, I respect your experience and expertise, and I understand your concerns but it does seem to me there is a serious need to assess and address mental health, particularly among youth.
I agree that there is a place for assessments for crisis, but not universal assessments. I’m not convinced a school counselor could have helped this situation from today. In fact, politicians will just use high emotions from today’s tragedy to expedite their plan to get more kids dependent on the dysfunctional mental health system.
I’m not sure either but I’ve seen the idea of general health assessments floated in healthcare as well and the idea has appeal. Many of our health and violence problems have are rooted in mental issues, so any interventions which result in appropriate and hopefully successful interventions by mental health professionals may be helpful.
These mental health assessments in general healthcare have a lot of appeal…for Pfizer. They aren’t done properly and are doing more damage than good.
What response would you suggest?
There was a lot more wrong with this dude his gender dysphoria. I don't share your skepticism of the healthcare sector. What would you have us do? Allow such incidents to go without response?
Response is VERY different than universal screenings, which is what my article argues against.
Think about who will be doing these assessments-The very people who affirmed this man’s trans identity when he was minor. In fact, there is a big chance they make it worse. There is risk of too many unintended (and maybe sometimes intended) consequences here.
I can't agree more. At the university where I teach, we are encouraged to be on the lookout for "sad" students. They are then shepherded into the health center, where they're put on anti-depressants. A colleague who somehow became the "ADHD Tutor" is telling students to get on ADHD meds. I called her out on it -- she's not a medical professional! She argued that she's an "expert" because she has ADHD, and could exercise no objectivity whatsoever on the matter of medicalizing people.
In my own case, as a teen in the 70s, I was evaluated by the school counselor when I got in trouble for something. At least I had the foresight to lie and say that everything in my family was fine! It very much was not! But I could tell what they were after, and cut them off at the pass! It was MY job to get through it, and not get the school involved. I also for whatever reason had the confidence in myself to get through it. Who knows why that was, but it was a very different time then: I had an internal locus of control.
As a school psychologist I greatly enjoyed reading your article and wholeheartedly agree. Thank you.