It’s hard to believe summer is finally here. Summer is always a joyous time for our family as our kids enjoy playing at the beach every day. This summer seems especially hopeful and welcome with a sense that things are starting to return to normal.
But obviously, there is so much important work to be done to mitigate the impact of COVID on our society and to help people who suffered physically, emotionally, and economically during the pandemic. One thing that is clear is that the pandemic was especially hard for people suffering from mental illness and/or dealing with addiction and recovery issues.
Another impact of COVID, that is less well known and talked about, is the trauma inflicted on children’s mental health as a result of the pandemic and the interruption of normal schooling and social interaction.
As many of you know, my background is as a teacher and a mental health advocate. A lot of my focus since the campaign ended has been shedding a light on these issues and doing what I can to address them. The mental health and well-being of children is an issue that impacts every one of us and our entire community and deserves our attention.
As Education Director of The Kennedy Forum, I recently helped spearhead a letter to the Secretary of Education that was signed by organizations across the country, asking him to provide formal guidance as to how the American Rescue Plan funds can be used by school districts for mental health support and services.
During Mental Health month, I moderated a webinar, hosted by Senator Vin Gopal, about the state of youth mental health services and support in New Jersey. The panelists included an impressive array of experts from across the state. You can watch it here.
I also joined The Chopra Foundation’s Never Alone Summit for a segment on youth, teen, and family mental health. Speakers included Deepak Chopra, Russel Brand, Jewel, Diane von Furstenberg, Russel Wilson, and more.
Here are some things you can do today to support this important work and to make youth mental health a priority.
- Contact your Senator and Congressperson and urge them to support the Increasing Access to Mental Health in School Act. You can read more about the bill here.
- Support the Hopeful Futures Campaign which was created to advocate for comprehensive mental health services in schools across the country. Right now, the coalition is pushing the Senate to pass a slate of key bills to ensure that mental health care is available and accessible for every child who needs it. Learn more at www.hopefulfutures.us.
- Go to my website to learn more about why we all need to be fighting to ensure that young people get access to the mental health support and services they need. www.amylkennedy.net
Thanks to the work of so many people including scientists, the Biden Administration and Governor Murphy we have made enormous progress getting people vaccinated, re-opening society safely and providing needed stimulus.
We must all continue to work hard to ensure we re-elect Governor Murphy this Fall and elect leaders in New Jersey and nationally that will build on the progress made to date and move our country forward.
I hope your summer is filled with opportunities to see family and friends and just to enjoy this special season after what has been a difficult time for so many.
All the best,
Amy
