SARAH ZIMMERMAN,Associated Press 18 hours ago
Teens fight for — and win — #mentalhealthdays for Oregon students
SALEM, Oregon (AP) — Oregon will allow students to take “#mentalhealth days” just as they would sick days, expanding the reasons for excused school absences to include #mental or behavioral health under a new law that experts say is one of the first of its kind in the U.S.
But don’t call it coddling. The students behind the measure say it’s meant to change the #stigma around #mentalhealth in a state that has some of the United States’ highest #suicide rates. #Mentalhealth experts say it is one of the first state laws to explicitly instruct schools to treat #mentalhealth and physical health equally, and it comes at a time educators are increasingly considering the emotional health of students. Utah passed a similar law last year.
JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Oregon’s bill, signed by Gov. Kate Brown last month, represents one of the few wins for youth activists from around the state who were unusually active at the Capitol this year. Along with expanded #mentalhealth services, they lobbied for legislation to strengthen gun control and lower the voting age, both of which failed.
Haily Hardcastle, an 18-year-old from the Portland suburb of Sherwood who helped champion the #mentalhealth bill, said she and other student leaders were partly motivated by the national youth-led movement that followed last year’s Parkland, Florida, school shooting.
“We were inspired by Parkland in the sense that it showed us that young people can totally change the political conversation,” she said. “Just like those movements, this bill is something completely coming from the youth.”
Hardcastle, who plans to attend the University of Oregon in the fall, said she and fellow youth leaders drafted the measure to respond to a #mentalhealthcrisis in schools and to “encourage kids to admit when they’re struggling.”
Debbie Plotnik, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Mental Health America, said implementing the idea in schools was important step in challenging the way society approaches #mentalhealthissues.
“The first step to confront this crisis is to reduce the #stigma around it,” Plotnik said. “We need to say it’s just as OK to take care for #mentalhealth reasons as it is to care for a broken bone or a physical illness.”
Suicide is Oregon’s second leading cause of death among those ages 10 to 34, according to data from the state Health Authority. Nearly 17% of eighth-graders reported seriously contemplating taking their lives within the past 12 months.
And it’s not just an Oregon problem, although the state does have a #suicide rate 40% higher than the national average. The national #suicide rate has also been on the rise and recently hit a 50-year high, climbing more than 30% since 1999, according to the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.
Previously, schools were obliged to excuse only absences related to physical illnesses. At many schools, absences must be excused to make up missed tests or avoid detention.
Under state law, students can have up to five absences excused in a three month period. Anything more requires a written excuse to the principal.
Despite little public opposition from lawmakers, Hardcastle said she’s received pushback from some parents who say the legislation wasn’t necessary, as students can already take #mentalhealth days by lying or pretending to be sick. Other opponents have said the law will encourage students to find more excuses to miss school in a state that also suffers from one of the worst absenteeism rates in the nation. More than 1 in 6 children missed at least 10% of school days in the 2015-2016 school year, according to state data.
But those criticisms miss the point of the bill, said Hardcastle. Students are going to take the same amount of days off from school with or without the new law, but they might be less likely to lie about why they’re taking take a day off if schools formally recognize mental health in their attendance policies.
“Why should we encourage lying to our parents and teachers?” she said. “Being open to adults about our #mentalhealth promotes positive dialogue that could help kids get the help they need.”
Parents Roxanne and Jason Wilson agree, and say the law might have helped save their 14-year-old daughter, Chloe, who took her life in February 2018.
The Eugene-based couple said the funny and bubbly teen had dreams of becoming a surgeon but faced bullying after coming out as bisexual in middle school.
When things at school were particularly rough, Chloe would pretend to be sick to stay home.
“Because she lied to get her absences excused, we didn’t get to have those #mentalhealth conversations that could have saved her life,” said Roxanne, who now manages a local #suicideprevention program.
Chloe was one of five teens to die by #suicide in the Eugene area that month. Roxanne and Jason, who moved to the rural city of Dayton following their daughter’s death, worry that those against the bill underestimate the hardships today’s teens face.
“Calling kids coddled or sensitive will just further discourage them from being honest with adults about what they’re going through,” Jason Wilson said. “We need to do everything we can to open up that dialogue between parents and children when it comes to #mentalhealth.”
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#NationalSuicidePreventionLifeline: 800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: 741-741
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
