Affecting policies about students’ mental health

As a group of five students in the College of Social Work at IU, we have learned the importance and feasibility of involving ourselves in state politics these last few months.
 
We started following a bill, Senate Bill 0464, that affects the education of children in residential mental health facilities. The bill provides that children in these facilities receive a per diem fund for education that equals what children receive from the state in public schools.

While bills and politics may seem like a complicated hassle, it is actually very easy to get involved in civic engagement. Every member of our team wrote a letter to our district senators to ask for their support of the bill when it came to vote. These were short, simple letters that anyone who wants to get involved could write.

To get a better grasp of the bill and what it entailed, we decided to meet with Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, the author of the bill. A simple email to the senator setting a date and time for a meeting was all that was required. We met with Kruse at the Indiana Statehouse near the end of February. Kruse was extremely welcoming and provided numerous resources and contacts related to the bill.

This included the contact information of some lobbyists involved in the bill. Setting up appointments to speak with lobbyists was just as easy and provided additional information to help us understand what this bill means for Indiana.

Currently there are five mental heath residential facilities in the state of Indiana. Each facility houses 45 to 60 children between the ages of 6 and 22. These children are placed there by the court, the Department of Education, the Department of Child Services or by their parents. The children in these facilities deal with issues such as suicide, self-mutilation, sexual abuse, verbal or physical abuse toward others or inability to control or maintain a normal emotional balance.

They are seen as harmful to themselves or others and are sent to these facilities because they have failed at being successful in other environments where they were less restricted. In the facilities, the children receive educational services and therapy to help them transition back to their original environments. Without these types of interventions and personal help, the issues the children experience could escalate into bigger problems.

So, why should you care about Senate Bill 0464? This bill should pass fairly uncontested, but we are more concerned about the message its passing sends. By passing SB 0464, the Indiana State General Assembly is taking a step to fight mental health discrimination.

 In providing better education services to the children who are in residential mental health facilities, Indiana sends the message that people with mental health concerns and challenges possess inherent dignity and worth. Though this legislative step may be small, it gets the ball rolling.

Following the mass shooting in Newtown, the nation has never been more aware of how great the need is for quality and comprehensive mental health services. Advocating for SB 0464 is our way of raising awareness of positive steps being taken to provide these services. Cultural change does not happen overnight. How will you be a part of the change?

­— smithemr@indiana.edu

Emily Smith is a junior majoring in social work.