{"id":24766,"date":"2026-05-27T16:15:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T20:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/?p=24766"},"modified":"2026-05-27T16:15:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T20:15:22","slug":"merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, D.C. \u2013 During Mental Health Awareness Month, Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and\u00a0Congressman\u00a0John Mannion\u00a0(NY-22)\u00a0announced the reintroduction of the\u00a0<em>Ley de Consejer\u00eda de Escuelas Primarias y Secundarias<\/em>, legislation that would\u00a0significantly\u00a0boost the availability of mental health providers in America\u2019s public schools. Mental illness affects\u00a0nearly\u00a020\u00a0percent\u00a0of American youth. This bicameral legislation\u00a0would\u00a0put\u00a0additional\u00a0mental health providers in elementary and secondary schools across\u00a0the country.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cMental health care is essential health care.&nbsp;Getting mental health services right where&nbsp;folks&nbsp;are \u2013 in school&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;makes&nbsp;it easy and effective for students, parents, and educators to get the support they need,\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;dijo Merkley.<strong>&nbsp;\u201cI\u2019ll keep fighting for a reality in which&nbsp;every child in America has access to quality mental health care.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cEvery student should have access to trusted adults, trained professionals, and a school community with the resources to address mental health challenges,\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>said Mannion.&nbsp;<strong>\u201cWhen young people struggle alone, it is much harder to learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Students should have adequate support and full awareness of available services, and this bicameral bill takes meaningful steps to close these gaps in schools.\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<br><strong><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The recommended maximum student-to-school&nbsp;counselor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.schoolcounselor.org\/about-school-counseling\/school-counselor-roles-ratios\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ratio<\/a>&nbsp;is 250 students per&nbsp;school&nbsp;counselor, but&nbsp;in the 2024-25 school year, the national average&nbsp;was&nbsp;372&nbsp;students per&nbsp;school&nbsp;counselor and&nbsp;that average&nbsp;continues to rise. For school psychologists, the recommended maximum&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasponline.org\/about-school-psychology\/shortages-dashboard-and-workforce-information\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ratio<\/a>&nbsp;is 500 students per provider,&nbsp;but&nbsp;the national average was 1,071 students per provider&nbsp;in the 2024-25 school year.&nbsp;There is also a shortage of school social workers, with no state outperforming the maximum recommended&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sswaa.org\/national-census\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ratio<\/a>&nbsp;of 1 per 250 students.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>El&nbsp;<em>Ley de Consejer\u00eda de Escuelas Primarias y Secundarias<\/em>&nbsp;would establish five-year renewable grants to help&nbsp;high-need&nbsp;elementary and secondary schools hire school-based mental health providers\u2014such as&nbsp;school&nbsp;counselors,&nbsp;school&nbsp;psychologists, and&nbsp;school&nbsp;social workers\u2014ensuring students can receive the mental health care and support they need to achieve their full potential.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Youth with access to mental health services in school-based health centers are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamapediatrics\/fullarticle\/189092\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10 times<\/a>&nbsp;more&nbsp;likely to seek care than youth without access, but school districts across America too often lack the resources to provide students with the in-school treatment and care they need and deserve. Furthermore, schools that employ more school-based health providers see improved attendance rates, academic achievement,&nbsp;career preparation, and graduation rates,&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;lower rates of suspension, expulsion, and other disciplinary incidents.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>El&nbsp;<em>Ley de Consejer\u00eda de Escuelas Primarias y Secundarias<\/em>&nbsp;is endorsed by the&nbsp;American Federation of Teachers, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Mental Health Counselors Association, American Psychological Association,&nbsp;American School Counselor Association,&nbsp;Anxiety &amp; Depression Association of America,&nbsp;Boys Town,&nbsp;Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates,&nbsp;Girls Inc.,&nbsp;International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses,&nbsp;Jed Foundation,&nbsp;National Association of Elementary School Principals,&nbsp;National Association of School Psychologists,&nbsp;National Association of Secondary School Principals,&nbsp;Postpartum Support International,&nbsp;School Social Work Association of America,&nbsp;Students Engaged in Advancing Texas,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Western Youth Services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cEvery student needs access to a school counselor, a school social worker, and a school psychologist\u2014each playing an essential role in ensuring students are ready to learn. This legislation is&nbsp;an important step&nbsp;toward making sure all three supports are in&nbsp;place,&nbsp;so every student has what they need to succeed in school and achieve strong academic outcomes,\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;said Jill Cook,&nbsp;American School Counselor Association&nbsp;Executive Director.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cStudents are more likely to succeed academically when they have access to comprehensive school mental health services and trusted professionals in their schools. We are grateful to Senator Merkley and Representative Mannion for their leadership of this important legislation&nbsp;and recognizing the urgent need to strengthen the pipeline of school psychologists and other school-based mental health professionals. Expanding access to these services is critical to helping schools address rising student mental health needs and ensuring every child has the support they need to thrive,\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>said Shawna Rader Kelly,&nbsp;National Association of School Psychologists&nbsp;President.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cThe School Social Work Association of America is excited to support Senator Merkley and Representative Mannion\u2019s introduction of the&nbsp;<\/strong><strong><em>Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act.<\/em><\/strong><strong>&nbsp;School social workers engage with schools, families, and communities to support student success and well-being, and this legislation provides the investment needed to develop and&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;the specialized workforce that meets the needs of youth,\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;said&nbsp;Rob Lucio, President-elect of&nbsp;School Social Work Association of America.&nbsp;<strong>\u201cWhile current staffing models far exceed the recommended&nbsp;school social worker-to-student ratio of 250 to 1,&nbsp;the grant funding&nbsp;established&nbsp;by the&nbsp;<\/strong><strong><em>Ley de Consejer\u00eda de Escuelas Primarias y Secundarias&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><strong>will enable districts to close this gap. This allows school social workers and other SISP professionals (School Counselors, School Psychologists) to provide student support and interventions where they are needed most.&nbsp;By investing in this legislation, these high-need school districts will have the capacity to provide meaningful, long-term supports for students\u2019 behavioral health and academic outcomes.&nbsp;We appreciate Senator Merkley and Representative Mannion\u2019s recognition of the behavioral health needs of youth and the role school social workers play in supporting their well-being.\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to Merkley and&nbsp;Mannion, the bill is cosponsored by&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Senators&nbsp;Michael&nbsp;Bennet&nbsp;(D-CO),&nbsp;Richard&nbsp;Blumenthal&nbsp;(D-CT),&nbsp;Cory&nbsp;Booker&nbsp;(D-NJ),&nbsp;Chris&nbsp;Coons&nbsp;(D-DE),&nbsp;Dick&nbsp;Durbin&nbsp;(D-IL),&nbsp;John&nbsp;Fetterman&nbsp;(D-PA),&nbsp;Martin&nbsp;Heinrich&nbsp;(D-NM),&nbsp;Mazie&nbsp;Hirono&nbsp;(D-HI),&nbsp;Tim&nbsp;Kaine&nbsp;(D-VA),&nbsp;Angus&nbsp;King&nbsp;(I-ME),&nbsp;Amy&nbsp;Klobuchar&nbsp;(D-MN),&nbsp;Chris&nbsp;Murphy&nbsp;(D-CT),&nbsp;Alex&nbsp;Padilla&nbsp;(D-CA),&nbsp;Jack&nbsp;Reed&nbsp;(D-RI),&nbsp;Jeanne&nbsp;Shaheen&nbsp;(D-NH),&nbsp;Tina&nbsp;Smith&nbsp;(D-MN),&nbsp;Chris&nbsp;Van Hollen&nbsp;(D-MD), and&nbsp;Ron&nbsp;Wyden&nbsp;(D-OR)&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;U.S.&nbsp;Representatives&nbsp;Lauren&nbsp;Underwood (IL-14),&nbsp;Linda S\u00e1nchez (CA-38),&nbsp;Jahana&nbsp;Hayes&nbsp;(CT-05), and&nbsp;Ted&nbsp;Lieu&nbsp;(CA-36).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cWhen I ask them what they need, young people in our community&nbsp;almost always&nbsp;tell me the same thing: high quality mental health resources at school.&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;a critical support system that is so important to their health and wellbeing,\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>said Underwood.&nbsp;<strong>&quot;El&nbsp;<\/strong><strong><em>Ley de Consejer\u00eda de Escuelas Primarias y Secundarias<\/em><\/strong><strong>&nbsp;will make sure schools have the resources they need to properly support our kids and help them thrive.\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>&#8220;Students depend on the critical guidance and resources school counselors provide. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of school counselors, nurses, and social workers, leaving students across the country without critical support. Our bill will ensure every student in America has access to quality counseling and mental health support,\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>said S\u00e1nchez.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>&#8220;Children across the country are facing a mental health crisis and lack the providers to address it. Only half of the approximately 8 million U.S. children with a treatable condition receive care from a qualified mental health professional,&#8221;&nbsp;<\/strong>said Hayes.&nbsp;<strong>&#8220;It is essential for students to have access to support in school and not be left without care. The&nbsp;<\/strong><strong><em>Ley de Consejer\u00eda de Escuelas Primarias y Secundarias&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><strong>is a crucial step toward addressing the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among K-12 students.&#8221;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cStudents deserve to feel safe and supported at school. Mental wellbeing is essential to educational success,\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>said&nbsp;Lieu.&nbsp;<strong>\u201cIt is time that we provide public schools with the resources they need to address the critical shortage of mental health counselors. The&nbsp;<\/strong><strong><em>Ley de Consejer\u00eda de Escuelas Primarias y Secundarias&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><strong>does exactly that.\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Full text of the&nbsp;bill can be found&nbsp;by clicking&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Elementary-and-Secondary-School-Counseling-Act-119th.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AQU\u00cd<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">###&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, D.C. \u2013 During Mental Health Awareness Month, Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and\u00a0Congressman\u00a0John Mannion\u00a0(NY-22)\u00a0announced the reintroduction of the\u00a0Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, legislation that would\u00a0significantly\u00a0boost the availability of mental health providers in America\u2019s public schools. Mental illness affects\u00a0nearly\u00a020\u00a0percent\u00a0of American youth. This bicameral legislation\u00a0would\u00a0put\u00a0additional\u00a0mental health providers in elementary and secondary schools across\u00a0the country.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMental [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":18847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-24766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases","tag-education","tag-health-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0 - Merkley<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0 - Merkley\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Washington, D.C. \u2013 During Mental Health Awareness Month, Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and\u00a0Congressman\u00a0John Mannion\u00a0(NY-22)\u00a0announced the reintroduction of the\u00a0Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, legislation that would\u00a0significantly\u00a0boost the availability of mental health providers in America\u2019s public schools. Mental illness affects\u00a0nearly\u00a020\u00a0percent\u00a0of American youth. This bicameral legislation\u00a0would\u00a0put\u00a0additional\u00a0mental health providers in elementary and secondary schools across\u00a0the country.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMental [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Merkley\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-27T20:15:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-27T20:15:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kelly Park\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kelly Park\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kelly Park\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#\/schema\/person\/a81fd3a5f0745aa100fe55611dae0d08\"},\"headline\":\"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T20:15:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-27T20:15:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/\"},\"wordCount\":1397,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Education\",\"Health Care\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Press Releases\"],\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/\",\"name\":\"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0 - Merkley\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-27T20:15:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-27T20:15:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#\/schema\/person\/a81fd3a5f0745aa100fe55611dae0d08\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"Senator Jeff Merkley.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/\",\"name\":\"Merkley\",\"description\":\"Merkley\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#\/schema\/person\/a81fd3a5f0745aa100fe55611dae0d08\",\"name\":\"Kelly Park\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es-MX\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df002e03ab4232ba73dea7f0e494bbdae1279b3751502c63dc78013d4e8c40f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df002e03ab4232ba73dea7f0e494bbdae1279b3751502c63dc78013d4e8c40f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df002e03ab4232ba73dea7f0e494bbdae1279b3751502c63dc78013d4e8c40f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kelly Park\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/author\/kelly-park\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0 - Merkley","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/","og_locale":"es_MX","og_type":"article","og_title":"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0 - Merkley","og_description":"Washington, D.C. \u2013 During Mental Health Awareness Month, Oregon\u2019s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and\u00a0Congressman\u00a0John Mannion\u00a0(NY-22)\u00a0announced the reintroduction of the\u00a0Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, legislation that would\u00a0significantly\u00a0boost the availability of mental health providers in America\u2019s public schools. Mental illness affects\u00a0nearly\u00a020\u00a0percent\u00a0of American youth. This bicameral legislation\u00a0would\u00a0put\u00a0additional\u00a0mental health providers in elementary and secondary schools across\u00a0the country.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMental [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/","og_site_name":"Merkley","article_published_time":"2026-05-27T20:15:21+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-27T20:15:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Kelly Park","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kelly Park","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/"},"author":{"name":"Kelly Park","@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#\/schema\/person\/a81fd3a5f0745aa100fe55611dae0d08"},"headline":"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0","datePublished":"2026-05-27T20:15:21+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-27T20:15:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/"},"wordCount":1397,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png","keywords":["Education","Health Care"],"articleSection":["Press Releases"],"inLanguage":"es-MX"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/","url":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/","name":"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0 - Merkley","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png","datePublished":"2026-05-27T20:15:21+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-27T20:15:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#\/schema\/person\/a81fd3a5f0745aa100fe55611dae0d08"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"es-MX","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es-MX","@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Updated-Release-Photo-4.png","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Senator Jeff Merkley."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/merkley-mannion-champion-legislation-to-make-mental-health-care-accessible-for-every-student-in-america\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Merkley,\u00a0Mannion\u00a0Champion\u00a0Legislation to Make Mental Health\u00a0Care\u00a0Accessible for Every Student in America\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/","name":"merkley","description":"merkley","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"es-MX"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/#\/schema\/person\/a81fd3a5f0745aa100fe55611dae0d08","name":"Kelly Park","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es-MX","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df002e03ab4232ba73dea7f0e494bbdae1279b3751502c63dc78013d4e8c40f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df002e03ab4232ba73dea7f0e494bbdae1279b3751502c63dc78013d4e8c40f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df002e03ab4232ba73dea7f0e494bbdae1279b3751502c63dc78013d4e8c40f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kelly Park"},"url":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/author\/kelly-park\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24766"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24767,"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24766\/revisions\/24767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}