Annual Mental Health Screenings for Colorado Youth? Proposed Bill Seeks Yearly Evaluations
A proposed house bill would provide annual mental health screenings for sixth through twelfth grade on a voluntary basis. If Bill 23-1003 passes, these evaluations will be carried out by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
As it stands, this bill would allow schools to opt-in. If they choose to participate, those schools must give parents a written notice within the first two weeks of school. Once received, the child’s parents are able to decide if they want them to receive yearly mental health evaluations. However, under Colorado law, children 12 and over reserve the right to consent to such screenings without parental approval. (Reference 1)
According to one member of the Colorado legislature, this bill builds on the I Matter Program, which takes place outside of school walls. The I Matter Program was developed through House Bill 21-1258 as a temporary service focusing on behavioral health for youth that may or may not have potentially developed through the COVID-19 pandemic. It is funded by the Office of Behavior Health and provides six free therapy appointments to participating individuals.
This service provides substance abuse and mental health access for individuals between the ages of 18 and 21 — younger ages considered if they are in any special education programs. The I Matter Program was renewed in May 2022 to go through June 2023. (References 1,2) Due to this particular program’s success, this new bill proposed by Colorado legislators aims to reach even more children, outside of the 18 to 21 age group.
One downside to the I Matter Program is that it is one hundred percent online. However, this new bill allows for a human element to be incorporated. This is especially important due to some children not having access to digital services. The newly proposed bill provides a more all-encompassing approach, where the human element can reach more students at one time. For example, a school that has had multiple suicides, having someone on sight to help a multitude of students is most beneficial.
Children’s Hospital Colorado has spoken out in support of HB23-1003. According to their spokesperson, they have seen a drastic increase in behavioral health cases in their emergency rooms from local youth since March 2020. And, although they shined a light on the issue, they addressing the problem is a much more difficult endeavor. By May 2021, they declared a state of emergency.
Data shows that Children’s Hospital Colorado serves just as many behavioral health cases in youth in 2022 as they did in 2021. Moreover, they saw a 74% increase in children coming to their emergency rooms seeking behavioral health care between the months of January and September 2022, compared to January to September 2019 — prior to the COVID pandemic.
According to Children's Hospital Colorado, they support this proposed bill because it is meant to meet children where they are, detect any issues early on, and then refer them to the appropriate services. This aims to provide them with resources that potentially avoid acute mental health issues later on. They would, however, like to see HB23-1003 amended to provide services to private school students and to allow for a more speedy review process of all assessments. (Reference 1)
Youth Screening Assessments Through MHT
At MHT, we work with all primary care providers — including pediatricians. We know and understand that approximately one-third of adolescents meet the criteria for anxiety disorder by the time they reach their 18th birthday.
Our platform works to send assessments to parents, teachers, and other providers on behalf of the patient.
If you are a provider who treats children, contact us today to discuss more with one of our highly knowledgeable customer service representatives.
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