Support Student Mental Health!
How can you make a difference on teen mental health?
Support Senate Bill S1969/Assembly Bill A5019
What the bill does:
This bill would make social workers and psychologists more available to students in New York schools! It would guarantee that every school has a full-time social worker and a psychologist on staff.
What you can to help:
Find your representatives:
Find your state senator's contact information here and your state assembly member's information here.
You can also use Resistbot to automatically text your state legislators:- Text "UPPER" to 50409, (or use Apple Messages, Telegram, Twitter or Messenger) and Resistbot will help you message your state senator.
- Text "STATE" to message your state governor and/or assembly member.
Make the call!
Here's a script of what you can say (or write):
Dear Senator/Assembly member _______________,
My name is ______ and I am a high school student at ______ and also a participant in Columbia University’s Freedom and Citizenship Program, and I am one of your constituents. F&C is a nonprofit, tuition-free civic leadership program for high school students, and we are now developing civic leadership projects. My team and I are currently working on a mental health project and our goal is to create a website where we share information and awareness for our communities.
I’m writing to you now because I have seen what the lack of mental health awareness and support has done to my peers and my school. Like many other students, I feel that mental health has deteriorated in my community. My own high school has seen increases in physical violence, and many mental health issues may have been worsened by the pandemic.
I recently have been doing research into possible solutions to the mental health crisis in our schools and came across Senate Bill S1969/Assembly Bill A5019, “an act to amend the education law, in relation to the employment of mental health professionals by school districts.” This bill would mandate schools to hire a psychologist and social worker for every school district in the state.
I found this bill compelling because if schools had more professionals available to help students do better and overcome mental health problems, we will have a safer school environment.
I was wondering what your stance is on this bill, and the reasons for your support or opposition. I hope that you will join your colleagues and co-sponsor the bill. Thank you!