Mental Health Screenings for Students in Illinois

Starting Fall 2024, Illinois will implement the Wellness Checks in Schools Program Act, mandating annual mental health screenings for its 2 million school students. This initiative, overseen by the Illinois State Board of Education, aims to identify and assist students with mental health issues before they escalate. The recent increase in behavioral incidents and school violence underscores the urgency of this program. School administrators across the state have been highlighting the growing challenges faced by schools in managing students’ mental health which was made more difficult by the COVID pandemic.

“Being a kid in 2024 is not easy. From over exposure to social media, the usual trials of a teenager, along with the mental health issues coming out of the pandemic, our young people just do not have the same advantages we had as kids. I am happy Illinois is standing up this program so that students will have adults there for them while they work through their problems” commented Rep. Grant.