In this new report, states are rated based on a variety of factors including mental health education available for students, access to school counselors, and applicable training for staff. They also checked to see if the states partner schools with community mental health professionals and make sure that mental health care is available to all students regardless of their family’s income. Some of the highest-rated schools were Colorado, California, Washington, Illinois, and Nevada (via NPR).
Each of these states has a wide variety of ways that the average student can seek mental health care. Colorado, for example, offers telehealth services for eligible students and has adopted anti-bullying legislation. “In addition, Colorado has also adopted mental health excused absences legislation and suicide prevention programs,” said Angela Kimball, senior vice president of policy and advocacy at Inseparable. Some of the lowest-rated states in the report were Georgia, West Virginia, Missouri, New Mexico, Nebraska, and South Dakota. These states offer very little support for students who are struggling with their mental health.