Keystone Today

Philadelphia, PA – On May 18, 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro hosted a National Governors Association (NGA) roundtable on youth mental health in Philadelphia with NGA Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Delaware Governor John Carney, and frontline leaders in youth mental health care. Governor Shapiro is participating in this NGA initiative in collaboration with governors from across the nation to develop bipartisan solutions to address the growing youth mental health crisis.

“For too long, there has been a stigma around mental health care – but that’s changing with this generation. Students across the Commonwealth aren’t afraid to talk about their mental health, and that’s what I hear every day,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “We need a comprehensive approach to deliver real help for young people struggling with their mental health, and that’s why we need to work with parents, teachers, and mental health professionals to ensure those resources are available. Here in Pennsylvania, I’m proposing a $500 million investment in student mental health – and I look forward to working with Governor Murphy and my colleagues across the country to get young people the help they need.”

Yesterday, Governor Shapiro visited Hempfield Area High School in Westmoreland County, where he met with students and shared his plan to invest $500 million over the next five years to increase mental health support in Pennsylvania schools.

To increase access and resources for every Pennsylvania student, Governor Shapiro’s budget includes:

• $500 million over the next five years so that schools can fund mental health counselors and services on site, prioritizing students’ mental health in addition to their physical health.
• $20 million in 2023-24, growing to $60 million annually to restore mental health funding to Pennsylvania counties, who provide critical community-based mental health services for residents.
• $5 million for one-time buildout costs of the 988 system while providing sustainable future funding for the 14-suicide prevention lifeline call centers throughout the Commonwealth.

The roundtable discussion hosted by Governor Shapiro and Governor Murphy featured parents, educators, mental health experts and advocates, including actress Goldie Hawn. Hawn founded MindUP, a program launched in 2003 to advance science-based social-emotional learning to support youth mental health and resilience. 

Governor Shapiro knows that the mental health crisis cannot continue to be an afterthought in Pennsylvania and is committed to ensuring that all Pennsylvanians have access to the mental health resources they need and deserve that will help them lead healthy and productive lives.

As Attorney General, he started Safe2Say Something – an anonymous tip reporting system for students that has seen over 100,000 tips – and his budget proposal includes $500 million over the next five years so that schools can fund mental health counselors and services on site, prioritizing students’ mental health in addition to their physical health.

Contact: ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov

 Original source can be found here.