Heading into the 2023 legislative session, one topic state lawmakers will take up is mental health care for teenagers following recent recommendations from the Teen Mental Health House Ad Hoc Committee.

Committee members adopted recommendations during their final meeting on Dec. 8. The committee was established earlier this year to research and review information regarding how substance abuse, bullying and social media affect mental health in Arizona’s youths, including teen suicide, according to a House GOP news release.

“Suicide is the endgame,” Committee Chair Rep. Joanne Osborne, R-Goodyear, said during the meeting. “We’re trying to stop the endgame.”

One major recommendation from the committee is to create a teen mental health grant program, administered by the Arizona Department of Health Services. The program would provide funding to schools and nonprofits for mental health first aid training, prevention specialists and marketing campaigns.

Additionally, the committee wants the Legislature to consider ways to recruit and retain mental health professionals in schools and local communities by providing incentives for providers to stay in the field.

Dr. Gary Kirkilas, a pediatrician affiliated with Phoenix Children’s Hospital and a committee member, said in the December meeting that the behavioral health workforce is lacking.

“Mental health is hard. It’s a really complicated issue. It’s not like when I have a patient with an ear infection – amoxicillin – done,” Kirkilas said.

Some of the proposals committee members suggested are to increase the behavioral health workforce, to provide more funding for children’s mental health service providers and to increase the reimbursement rates from insurance companies for those providers due to their specialized training.

Specifically, the committee is recommending the Legislature amend state statute to require all private health insurers to provide reimbursement for services delivered through the psychiatric Collaborative Care Model, which involves input from a patient’s primary doctor when they visit a specialist. Members also suggested assisting mental health professionals with their student loans or with years of service awards.

Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, told committee members during the December meeting that it was unlikely the Legislature would pass all their suggestions.

“Everybody now is going to have to be patient and be happy with any victories we get with these recommendations because we’re not going to get them all,” he said.

In an October committee meeting, Rep. Justin Wilmeth, R-Scottsdale, said a Republican majority in the Legislature would likely not vote for legislation that allows 12-year-olds to consent for mental health treatment. This idea was changed by the committee to permit 16-year-olds to consent for treatment, only if they lack a parent or legal guardian. Treatment would be for a maximum of four months and include talk therapy without prescription medications.

Another major recommendation is for the state to establish a community resource hub to inform parents and teens on information related to access to care, prevention, education and resources about bullying.  School districts would also be given funds to develop an app for students to report safety issues and have access to clinical support with the funds from the proposed grant program.

According to the November 2021 Arizona Child Fatality Review, bullying is one of the top reasons for children’s suicide. The state is already working to address this issue as the School Safety Grant Program opened for applications on Dec. 14.

The Legislature appropriated $150,000 to the Arizona Department of Education through a bill sponsored by Rep. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, for the grant program. Schools that receive grants can implement an electronic incident prevention program to reduce incidents and threats on campuses.

In a news release, Bolick said she hopes at least 30 more schools or school districts qualify for the program and report their results of the implementation to the Legislature.

Local education agencies are eligible for up to $5,000 on a rolling basis of first come, first served. Applications will be available until May 1, 2023, or until all funding is awarded.

Rep. Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren, D-Teec Nos Pos, commended the teen mental health committee for taking a statewide approach to mental health issues.

“I really want to appreciate everybody for the statewide approach that I think that these recommendations reflect,” said Blackwater-Nygren. “Our state is diverse geographically (and) ethnically.”

The committee is set to expire at the end of 2023 as members hope to continue their work next year.