In front of a committee of U.S. Senators, senior Brooklyn Williams said that her mental health issues were overlooked as a child and like many of her peers, her symptoms worsened during the pandemic.
The Baldwin-Whitehall student told the Senate committee on health education, labor and pensions Wednesday during a hearing on supporting mental health in the transition from high school to college, that the social isolation during the pandemic compounded her feelings of stress and despair.
“There’s a fluidity in the way each of us experiences mental health, and I feel like schools and communities only intervene when it becomes intensely severe and unfortunately in some cases, too late,” she said.
Williams’ mother died of breast cancer when she was 13, a decade after she was diagnosed.
“Although we tried to prepare as much as possible for her passing, it was the worst feeling that I’ve ever experienced. The following year was a blur of numbness and therapy sessions. But the pandemic caused everything to shut down. I felt alone,” she said.
Eventually, she found that arts and crafts made her feel better. Once in-person learning resumed, she founded the Chill Club at her school, an offshoot of the Allegheny Health Network’s Chill Project. It’s a mindfulness group that meets to help students cope with stress and anxiety. They do crafts, yoga and meditation.
Williams told the senators that there’s a long way to go to meet growing mental health needs. She wants mental health education for children and youth, proper training for teachers and staff on how to effectively address mental health issues and for schools to allow mental health days.
Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania agreed with Williams’ observations. He has proposed legislation with Republic Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana that would give grants to health care providers to expand mental health services for youth.
The Health Care Capacity for Pediatric Mental Health Act would establish three grant programs to improve access to community-based services and supports, support training to enhance the pediatric mental health workforce, and invest in critical pediatric mental health infrastructure.
Casey and Cassidy said in a joint statement that the right resources will save lives by "ensuring a strong network of holistic supports for youth.”
Casey said during the hearing that while lawmakers have made strides to address the mental health crisis, the testimony from Williams, mental health professionals and educators only reinforced the urgent need.
The Children’s Hospital Association which represents 220 children’s hospitals across the country supports the bill and says it would provide “much-needed tailored investment in the nation’s mental health infrastructure, workforce and community-based services for children.”
