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by Emily Jordan
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill (WICS) — A bill requiring mental health screenings into Illinois public school districts is headed to the Governor's desk.
Senate Bill 1560 would ask school districts to offer mental health screenings to students grades 3 through 12.
Some said the bill is a step forward for improving behavioral health services for children in Illinois.
Bill sponsors said the move will ensure schools can serve as emotional and social supports for their communities…but it doesn't come without concern.
If signed, Senate Bill 1560 would go into effect in 2027…
With the Illinois State Board of Education giving school districts guidance and training on mental health screening tools they can offer to students.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry Ayame Takahashi said screening tools aren't a diagnosis, but they pick up on the potential for diagnosis.
"The whole point is to make sure things don't get worse. So you catch things early, be able to provide treatment early, and hopefully nip things in the bud before they get really overwhelming,” Takahashi said.
Takahashi said it could be a secondary safety net.
"Not all kids make it to the doctors regularly, or they've moved around so much that records get lost or they're harder to obtain in the interim. And things can change pretty quickly too, so that's another point where you have the potential to catch something going on,” Takahashi said.
The bill said before they require districts to provide screenings, the state has to make those screening tools available. Those tools would need to include self-report options and come at no cost to districts.
But some schools are hesitant…
"Not only does it require people, it requires the instrument itself and licensing and there are costs associated with a program like this. It's gotta be absorbed somewhere. So eventually, it comes out of taxpayer money,” president of Sacred Heart Griffin High School Dr. William Moredock said.
Moredock said although it's good to prioritize student mental health, he's not sure how effective a screening tool would be.
Some school districts, like Rochester, told NewsChannel 20 they already implement similar procedures…and a bill like this wouldn't make a big difference.