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Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils plan to support kids' mental health

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils plan to support kids' mental health
Posted at 4:28 PM, Aug 18, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-18 20:00:07-04

FRESNO, Calif. (KERO) — Back to school is underway in the state, and in a press conference on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a "master plan for kid’s mental health" in California.

According to the state, reported depression and anxiety in children are on the rise in California, suicide rates for California children aged 10 to 18 increased by 20 percent from 2019 to 2020.

Due to that, Gov. Newsom wants the state to go in a preventative direction rather than focusing on after-crisis care, something which Jamie Ortiz, a local psychiatrist, agrees with.

“If you have a condition, any kind of mental health condition that develops as a child, if you do nothing about it, it's just going to get worse,” said Jaime Ortiz, staff psychiatrist at the Department of Corrections.

$4.7 billion in Newsom's plan would go to universal screening and support for Californians ages zero to 25.

Also in the plan is a $20,000 scholarship for those willing to work as a school counselor for two years.

“California, we're opening our hearts and minds to try and de-stigmatize and address these fundamental issues, we’re proud to use the phrase social and emotional support,” said Newsom.

Thanks to the signing of AB 2508, the school counselor statute will not only focus on career preparedness but mental behavior framework as well.

One of the plan's goals is to double the number of school counselors as well as increase support for the profession.

Gov. Newsom also addressed the topic of school shooting and says this push for mental health resources is not in response to on-campus violence, but it is a factor in it.

Some parts of Newsom's plan are available including the Children’s Mental Health Resources Hub, which offers resources for kids and parents including support hotlines.

Three pillars are included in the governor's plan: Healthy minds for California kids, rebuilding California’s mental health systems, and developing a mental health workforce.

The healthy minds for California kids pillar seeks to:

  • Provide Medi-Cal coverage for parent-child services
  • Make it easier for schools to provide
  • De-stigmatize mental health support services for children
  • Offer more resources for parents

The rebuilding California’s mental health systems pillar seeks to:

  • Create new virtual platforms
  • Expand early interventions
  • Hire more school counselors
  • Expand clinic and treatment appointments
  • Develop a suicide prevention program

The developing a mental health workforce pillar seeks to:

  • Hire and train 40,000 new mental health workers
  • Expand remote access to mental health services
  • Make mental health training available for teachers.