Illinois students to be allowed five excused mental health days per school year
This fall, the Illinois state legislature passed a new bill to provide students with the ability to take up to five excused absences each school year due to mental or behavioral health concerns without a doctor’s note.
According to an email sent out by Assistant Principal of Student Services Laura Bolech, if a student chooses to request a mental health day at Niles North, the absence will be coded as “MH” (mental health) and listed as an excused absence, with students being responsible for assignments and assessments that are given during their absence.
The bill also states that once a student requests a second mental health day, a school counselor will reach out to their family and the student may be referred to get professional help.
The decision comes amid several school districts’ attempts to better accommodate the mental health needs of their students as a result of the intense strain the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on children across the country. With the beginning of a new school year in sight, child psychiatrists say they expect to see a surge of kids who need help.
According to the CDC, between March and May 2021, hospitals across the country saw a 24% increase in the number of mental health emergency visits by kids aged 5 to 11 years old and a 31% increase for kids 12 to 17.
Many students feel stressed, and have developed anxiety and depression because they’re not able to see teachers and friends, and may have lower grades due to remote learning.
— IL. Rep. Barbara Hernandez
“Having this now for all students across the state will be really beneficial, especially with what’s going on with COVID,” Illinois Representative Barbara Hernandez, one of the bill’s co-sponsors said. “Many students feel stressed, and have developed anxiety and depression because they’re not able to see teachers and friends, and may have lower grades due to remote learning.”
“Many students are going through a lot mentally and emotionally and they need support,” Hernandez said. “I think it will help students, parents and teachers, and can help them understand what’s going on in their students’ lives.”
Illinois now joins states such as Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Virginia that have passed similar bills over the last two years allowing students to be absent from school due to mental or behavioral health reasons.
“It’s important to talk to children and listen to their concerns, then take it seriously,” mental health expert Margaret Cochran said. “I hear people say, ‘She’s just being a teenager’ or ‘It’s a kid problem.’ Children are often stressed when they are experiencing something challenging for the first time. It matters.”
Aiden is a senior who serves as the Editor-in-Chief and News Editor of North Star News. Since first joining the staff during his freshman year, he has...
Cynthia Fey • Feb 24, 2022 at 11:39 am
Thank you for this important and informative article!
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning has urged schools to consider “Creating public communal spaces for your students and staff to come together can promote a sense of community and sense of belonging, while dedicating private, safe and neutral calming spaces can be supportive for students and staff who are managing difficult emotions, seeking solitude, and working through challenging situations.”
I hope that as Niles North builds a three story addition, that space will be made for those private and calming places where students can feel safe and supported. These in-school Peace Places could be as vital to student mental, physical and emotional health as the mental health days at home.