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Mental Health ABC Act passed

Mental Health ABC Act Passed

On August 10, Gov. Baker signed into law an expansive bill known as the Mental Health ABC Act: Addressing Barriers to Care. The law, Chapter 177, includes comprehensive reforms to the behavioral health system to remove barriers for many people to get the care they need.

The new law will make a difference for future generations of Massachusetts residents at an integral time - and provides an opening to focus on prevention, parity and access, and directly address the implications of the pandemic. Thank you for contacting your legislators through the Children’s Mental Health Campaign’s action alerts and attending our Lunch & Learns. Your voice matters and helped get this landmark legislation over the finish line! Chapter 177 includes a number of provisions the CMHC has been advocating for this session and beyond, including:

  • Strict limits placed on the use of suspension and expulsion in all licensed early education and care programs;
  • Codifying the creation of a statewide technical assistance center to help schools implement school-based behavioral health services;
  • Requiring the creation of an online portal with real-time data on children boarding in EDs and medical floors and stuck in inpatient units. The portal must also contain real-time information of bed availability to facilitate bed searches;
  • Creation of a Complex Cases Interagency Review Team to collaborate on complex cases to ensure that children who are disabled or who have special needs get the care they need in a timely manner, without bureaucratic delays;
  • Numerous provisions that close loopholes and address gaps in the Commonwealth’s existing mental health parity law that will allow consumers in our state to finally benefit from the intended promise of parity.
In remembrance

The Children's Mental Health Campaign is remembering with deep gratitude the life and legacy of Beatrice (Bee) Adams who passed away on October 7, 2022, at the age of 90. After the death of her husband Charles, Bee actively stewarded the work of the C.F. Adams Charitable Trust. The Trust, now named the Charles F. and Beatrice D. Adams Charitable Trust, has prioritized improving children's behavioral health in Massachusetts. Under Bee's leadership, it has made an immeasurable impact on the lives of countless children and has been a key source of support for our work to improve child mental health policy and practice. Our thoughts are with Bee's family and with Janet Taylor and Karen Darcy the trusted advisors who helped her fulfill the goals of the Trust.

You can read more about Bee and her remarkable life below.

October is Depression Awareness Month

The month of October is National Depression Awareness Month. The rates of Depression have been rising among children in the past few years. An estimated 4.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. However, there is hope. Here are some tips on how to help your child if they are struggling.

“2/3 of Parents Say Their Kids Are Self-Conscious About Their Appearance”

With the rising popularity of apps like TikTok and Instagram, it’s no surprise that children are struggling with internal criticism about their appearance. According to a new poll conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI, 64% of parents said their children are self-conscious about some aspect of their appearances, such as their weight, skin, or breast size. In 27% of cases, they reported that their child’s self-consciousness had affected their self-esteem in a negative way while 20% said their child didn’t want to participate in activities because of their feelings.

CMHC Website

Have you seen our website yet?

Our website is a great resource to find out about the work we're doing to ensure kids have access to the supports and services they need at home, in school, and in their communities.

We also have a contact page, so let us know what you think of the site!

children's Behavioral health resources & Updates.

October IECMH Newsletter

More Headlines

“Many children are regularly exposed to gun violence. Here's how to help them heal”

As gun violences rises in our country, children who are exposed to such traumatic events regularly are struggling with feelings of anxiety and hopelessness. Not having the tools to be able to express their emotions can have lasting impacts on their adulthood. But there's a lot communities and after-school programs can do to help.

“Mass. education officials focus on student’s mental health”

Thanks to additional funding from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 110 communities in the Commonwealth will receive funds to help with student’s mental health needs. This is solely needed as The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, 1 in 6 kids in the United States between the ages of 6 and 17, suffer from a mental health disorder.

“Kids born right after a natural disaster more likely to have mental health issues, new research shows”

Understandably, witnessing a natural disaster can lead to some mental health problems. Now, a new study suggests that those who are still in the womb when a disaster strikes are also likely to struggle with mental health.

Sign up for Action Alerts.

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Thank You!

Credits:

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