Illinois Now Requires Mental Health Screenings For Students

The changes will start in the 2027-2028 school year.

Students already take physical and vision tests for school but now there will be an additional test to take. Governor Pritzker signed a bill into law this week that requires schools to do annual mental health screenings on students, according to CBS News.

It will require public schools to have age-appropriate screenings for kids 3rd-12th grade to identify mental health concerns.

The screenings will be confidential and parents who don't want their kids to do it can opt out. But the screenings will happen at least once a year. The Illinois State Board of Education will oversee the process. It will develop model procedures for school districts.

The new law also requires schools to connect families with the BEACON Portal, which helps families find psychiatric help in their communities. Governor Pritzker said once he passed the law:

At a time when our children are struggling with anxiety and depression more than ever before, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our young people have all the help that they need to get the help that they deserve.

When the measure was approved earlier this year in Springfield, Republicans questioned if it was governmental overreach but mental health advocates praised it as a way to eliminate the stigma about seeking mental help.

Other states have mental health screenings for students available, though it varies by age. In Colorado, the screenings are for kids in 6th-12th grades. Iowa offers mental health screenings for students too.