Smith Fights for Better Mental Health Services on College Campuses
Legislation Targets Student Depression and Suicide
Washington, DC - Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI) and Mike DeWine (R-OH) have introduced the Campus Care and Counseling Act which will enhance mental and behavioral health services on college campuses to address depression and suicide among students.
"For some, college can be a pressured and painful time," said Smith. "The tragedy is that without the right kind of help, the depressed and hurting are too often unable to move past their feelings of darkness and hopelessness."
The bill provides added funds for campus mental health services, authorizing $10 million in competitive grants to institutions of higher education. Grants may be used for prevention, screening, early intervention, assessment, treatment, management, and related education activities. Priority will be given to those schools whose grant proposals provide mental health services directly to students. The bill requires that grantees provide an outreach strategy and a coordinated plan for those students with the most need for services.
Over 3,000 children and young adults take their lives each year, making suicide the third leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 24. A recent study shows that the rate of depression found in college freshmen has nearly doubled. At schools with enrollment of more than 15,000 the average ratio of mental and behavioral health providers is 1 per 2400 students while the recommended ratio is 1 per 1000 students.
