Bill Would Boost Mental Health Services at Calif. Elementary Schools

State officials have announced legislation aimed at addressing the impact of childhood trauma by bolstering mental health services at elementary schools.

Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, authored the bill, AB 1644, with support from California Attorney General Kamala Harris and an advocacy organization. According to Harris’ office, the bill would start a four-year pilot program to aid elementary schools in establishing mental health services for students.

This effort would be particularly focused on schools in communities with higher rates of childhood trauma incidences, according to Harris’ office.

“This legislation will connect our most vulnerable children with the support they need and is a smart investment in the health and safety of our state,” Harris said in a statement.

The bill is said to build on previously existing state efforts - such as the now-defunded Early Mental Health Initiative - to help elementary school students who have experienced trouble adjusting to a school setting.

Without it being addressed, childhood trauma can reportedly leave kids less prepared for school and cause them to be more likely to exhibit anxiety, withdrawal and aggressive behavior.

Addressing these issues is a way of addressing the root causes of crime, according to state officials. “A child’s exposure to trauma is one of the greatest public health threats of our time, seriously compromising a child’s long-term physical and emotional well-being,” Bonta said in a statement.

An advocacy group, Children Now, is helping to advance the legislation. Ted Lempert, president of the group, said in a statement that the bill represented a chance to allow young victims of trauma “reach their full potential.”

--Bay City News, Image via State of California