Mental Health in Schools Act
SOWK 535 Assignment #1: Brief the Mayor
Melinda Parker
SOWK 535 Section 20131:67196
University of Southern California School of Social Work
Dr. Nani Lee
Introduction As a future Social Worker it is important to be aware of the policies that may impact the community in which we serve. By being aware of these policies a social worker can prepare to provide services to the population for which one serves. A social worker must advocate for the good of the community and the people within that community. As the Mayor of Biloxi you are also in a position where you must advocate for or against policy initiatives for the good of the people for which you serve. Therefore, it is important that you join me in supporting S. 195 or the “Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013.”
Part A: Legislation and Political Context: What is the “Elevator Speech” Overview? The purpose of the Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013 is to amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend projects relating to children and violence to provide access to school-based comprehensive mental health programs. This piece of legislation seeks to revise, increase funding for, and expand the scope of the Safe Schools-Healthy Students program in order to provide access to more comprehensive school-based mental health services and supports. It will also provide for comprehensive staff development for school and community service personnel working in the school, and provide for comprehensive training for children with mental health disorders, for parents, siblings, and other family members of such children, and for concerned members of the community. The Bill was introduced in the Senate on January 31st, 2013 and was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The bill was introduced by Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and has 11 Co-sponsors (10 Democrats, 1 Independent), none of which represent any of the four districts in the state of Mississippi.
BILL TEXT URL:
Melinda Parker
SOWK 535 Section 20131:67196
University of Southern California School of Social Work
Dr. Nani Lee
Introduction As a future Social Worker it is important to be aware of the policies that may impact the community in which we serve. By being aware of these policies a social worker can prepare to provide services to the population for which one serves. A social worker must advocate for the good of the community and the people within that community. As the Mayor of Biloxi you are also in a position where you must advocate for or against policy initiatives for the good of the people for which you serve. Therefore, it is important that you join me in supporting S. 195 or the “Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013.”
Part A: Legislation and Political Context: What is the “Elevator Speech” Overview? The purpose of the Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013 is to amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend projects relating to children and violence to provide access to school-based comprehensive mental health programs. This piece of legislation seeks to revise, increase funding for, and expand the scope of the Safe Schools-Healthy Students program in order to provide access to more comprehensive school-based mental health services and supports. It will also provide for comprehensive staff development for school and community service personnel working in the school, and provide for comprehensive training for children with mental health disorders, for parents, siblings, and other family members of such children, and for concerned members of the community. The Bill was introduced in the Senate on January 31st, 2013 and was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The bill was introduced by Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and has 11 Co-sponsors (10 Democrats, 1 Independent), none of which represent any of the four districts in the state of Mississippi.
BILL TEXT URL:
References: Editor: National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2013) Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?section=Find_Support H.R. 751--112th Congress: Mental Health in Schools Act of 2011. (2011). Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://napolitano.house.gov/sites/napolitano.house.gov/files/images/mental_health_in_schools_act_2011.pdf Hyde, P. S.: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2013). Testimony Before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Hearing on "Assessing the State of America’s Mental Health System." Retrieved from http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Hyde1.pdf Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593–602. Sheryl H. Kataoka, M.D., M.S.H.S.; Lily Zhang, M.S.; Kenneth B. Wells, M.D., M.P.H. (2002) Unmet Need for Mental Health Care Among U.S. Children: Variation by Ethnicity and Insurance Status. Am J Psychiatry; 159:1548-1555. 10.1176/appi.ajp.159.9.1548 S. 195--113th Congress: Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013. (2013). In www.GovTrack.us. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s195 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings, NSDUH Series H-45, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 12-4725. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2012.