Do you support Illinois implementing universal mental health screening for students grades 3-12?

[CaptainObivous]

"Illinois just became the first state in the U. S. to roll out universal mental health screenings for students in grades 3–12. Supporters say it will help kids get the support they need. But in reality, it will fast-track thousands of children into a broken mental health system that too often defaults to psychiatric drugs."

Yes

No

[emeraldsaphire]

What exactly does this accomplish? A kid comes home with a slip from the school saying that your kid is depressed. It's not like the school is going to pay for medical management and treatment. Plus what will they be screening for? Who will do the screening? Will parents be able to opt out?

[CaptainObivous]

As of now parents are able to opt out, but given the governments history, that will be gotten rid of. Only thing it accomplishes is increasing the number of broken kids who are over medicated.

[exitseven]

An entire generation was destroyed by locking down the schools for two years during covid. Not only did they lose two years of education that they will not get back but the isolation and lack of structure has caused many to suffer from some form of anxiety or other disorder. It would be a good idea to evaluate them but instead of the standard treatment of just prescribing drugs, get them real therapy that will get them back on the track.

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO

[DrPepper12]

It's complicated.

It will be great for diagnostic & destigmatizing reasons but being USA it will be left untreated & fester despite awareness of the problem.

Schools must tread VERY LIGHTLY & not pull the usual misguided technocratic/patronizing/data driven bullshit that admin LOVES to do despite claxon 🚨 warnings from teachers like me.

[CaptainObivous]

It won't be left untreated, quite the opposite, it will be over treated with medication that could possibly do more harm then good like the psychologist in the video explains.

[purplepoppy]

Show me someone who doesn't have a mental health problem. None of us are robots, We've all got mental flaws and it's too easy for experts to blow them out of proportion.

I'm all for helping people who have real problems but this could end up creating a data base that could be used against people in the future, perhaps stop them voting, getting jobs, insurance etc

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

I doubt this is an objectively harmful program. And if medication is needed, a health professional can determine that a lot better than you or I can.

[emeraldsaphire]

Do you think the school will pay or administer treatment? They will most likely just get a letter from the school that bad parents will ignore. and good parents will probably already have their kids seeing someone. I guess it some circumstances it good detect issues, but I'm doubtful that a 5 minute talk to the social worker will do very much with screening

[emeraldsaphire]

I'm not sure why their is a link there...

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

If there’s written and documented notifications that they can see parents ignoring, depending on how severe the case is, it’s justification to get CPS involved and get the kid out of a potentially damaging neglect

[emeraldsaphire]

🙃Because CPS is known to be really great at getting kids out of abusive situation. This would probably also require high levels of follow up that I don't think will be carried out

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Do you even live in Illinois?

[emeraldsaphire]

No, but I have a friend who use to. They had abusive parents and when CPS got involved they just made them make a "safety plan" and then they never followed up on it. I've heard countless stories like this. CPS is a glorified record keeping agency.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Okay, you’re right that this program is not exempt from critique but maybe it’s too soon to say any change it makes is pointless when it’s only just started. Fair enough?

[CaptainObivous]

Any changes won't be pointless, they will likely be for the worse, as it will result in more kids being deemed broken resulting in them being over medicated which does more harm then good like the psychologist in the video explains.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

I disagree, obviously

[emeraldsaphire]

Why are we giving it the benefit of the doubt? I can only speak from my experience and the experiences I've heard from others. I don't know enough about this program to do anything outside of speculate, but do you really think the politicians and lobbyists who passed this law care about kids? I'm all for helping kids with mental health issues. But any true help is not going to come from politicians it's gonna come from individuals working together.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Exactly, you’re speaking from a place of speculation. Let’s see the results first before we call it pointless

[emeraldsaphire]

We already have tons of health screenings in schools. And yet American kids aren't getting any healthier, in fact it's the opposite, kids are less healthy and it looks like life expectancy might be going down. It feels like I'm saying hey lets not touch the boiling pot on the stove, and you are saying well we don't know what's in the pot so lets touch it and see what happens...

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

The difference is you believe this changes nothing or creates an inherent harm, and I’m inclined to believe this can be a benefit or changes nothing. Classic pessimism vs optimism

[emeraldsaphire]

I'm an optimist in almost all things. Except when the big bad wolf is at the door 😅

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

We’ll just agree to disagree then. All of this is based on a psychologist’s opinions, we don’t even know if these schools will employ psychologists compared to child therapists

[kavakava]

This is one of the most diabolical things the left has ever come up with.

[OneViewpoint]

I'd rather see screening for a MAGA / Fascist home environment with follow up by correctional assets.

[Avicenna]

You’re saying you want to put your political opponents in jail for their political views?

[seeyounexttuesday]

Lol, fuck that. They should focus in making sure the black kids in Chicago can read.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the move of a dictator.