A proposed study on mental health education in South Dakota awaits its final go ahead after running through the legislature.

 

HCR 6015, which encourages the Executive Board of the Legislature to create an interim legislative study on mental health education in this state, received approval by the House, a Senate Committee and the full Senate on its way to being reviewed by the Legislature’s Executive Board for study during the 2021 legislative interim.

 

ASBSD supports the resolution.

 

“I’d love to see it happen,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany told Senate Health committee members during the resolution’s hearing. “It would be tremendous.”

 

Pogany noted that “COVID has added” to the mental health issues student’s face and cited the Association’s resolution supporting additional Behavioral and Mental Health Resources for schools to address the issues in schools.

 

The resolution requests “the Executive Board of the Legislature to create and appoint an interim legislative study to evaluate the availability of mental health education and resources for students and educators in public schools in this state, and to identify the challenges related to offering mental health education in public schools” that includes “mental health professionals, educators, school counselors, and other stakeholders.”

 

For updates on the proposed interim study and other 2021 legislative session issues, check the ASBSD Blog and Bill Tracker page.