Ratcheting up the F19HT - Lobbying to bring new mental health legislation to college and university campuses nationwide
Last week, CNN’s The Lead Host Jake Tapper interviewed Gina and Stephen Meyer, co-founders of the family’s nonprofit Katie’s Save for which JLC’s Kim Dougherty has been an avid supporter and vocal advocate.
Katie’s Save was founded to save lives through systemic changes to improve student safety and well-being on college and university campuses through mental health awareness and suicide prevention. A subset initiative of the program was the creation of California bill 1575 (also recognized as the Katie Meyers Law), which passed into law earlier this Fall. The newly passed legislation allows students at California’s public colleges and universities to select a trusted adviser to help them navigate any disciplinary process exacted by an institution during their attendance.
The value of the new law is monumental for young adults navigating a new life chapter, many of who are absent a safety net or support. The Meyers’s daughter Katie was a Stanford University senior, captain of the women’s soccer team, a Resident Advisor, and a Mayfield Fellow preparing for graduation and a future at Stanford University’s Law School, when she unexpectedly died by suicide.
The backdrop to her final moments may never add up however what emerged was an aggressive effort to implore academic institutions to take the mental health of their students seriously and to recognize the need for support on campus should disciplinary action be metered out to a student—regardless of where they may be in their journey.
Steve and Gina Meyer bravely discussed their appreciation for California’s decision to roll out the new statewide law to public colleges and universities while continuing to champion private colleges and universities in California and around the nation to follow suit.
In support of that goal, the Meyers have received bipartisan support from Senator John Fetterman (D; PA) and Senator Katie Britt (R; AL). Britt appeared on The Lead to discuss her meeting of the Meyers and steps she and Fetterman are taking on nationwide legislation riveted on mental health.
“Fetterman and I have worked diligently together on mental health issues. This is not a Democrat issue. This isn’t a Republican issue. This is an American issue. We have an obligation to tackle it as such.”
Fetterman and Britt have leveraged data around an increased correlation between the use of social media and the rate of depression in young adults. In fact, according to statistics and a report from the CDC, 9.5% of all high schoolers have attempted death by suicide.
“The time for action is now.”
Source: CNN The Lead | #stopthescroll | #katiessave | #F19HT
