We would like Assembly Bill A545 to be expedited and passed in order to allow efficient and greater access to mental health resources.

Assembly Bill A545 proposes that the NYS laws governing which psychologists can become licensed to provide counseling services outside of the school setting be changed to also include Certified and Masters Level School Psychologist with sufficient experience in schools counseling children. Various iterations of this bill have been introduced to legislatures since 2009 in an effort to combat the rampant opioid crisis. While increasing the number of mental health professionals that have expertise with children should have always been an urgent call to our legislatures, the need is truly exacerbated now. Experienced certified school psychologists are amongst the most skilled and dedicated individuals that already counsel vulnerable youth. Changing the walls within which they provide those same services does not change the work they are already doing, but it does expand the opportunity of how much more they can help.

Expediting this bill NOW would allow for sooner acknowledgment of the fiercely growing mental health crisis that is occurring in conjunction with and as a result of the pandemic. We will be dealing with the mental health consequences (i.e., trauma, depression, anxiety, poor academic self-efficacy, self-medicating with illicit substances, etc.) of the pandemic far after the virus itself has been abolished as a threat. Amongst our youth, those vulnerabilities increase the risk of dropping out of school, substance abuse, homelessness, and suicide-- to name a few. If not for the wellness of our society, then also understanding the domino effect that those possible consequences would have on our economy should largely motivate legislatures to address the issues now and pass the bill. There truly is no time to sit on this. The masses are in crisis and there are not enough resources available to help. Most licensed psychologists, counselors, and therapists have very long waiting lists- particularly those that are affordable and/or those that are highly skilled clinicians. Unfortunately, access to mental health resources is another place where major inequities exist, and I fear that those who suffer the long-term consequences are precisely those that we consider our most marginalized and/or our most vulnerable. This bill would be the quickest way to open up an entire populace of resources already available and trained to help those already in crisis. Otherwise increasing the number of skilled professionals able to provide therapy or counseling services would mean training more individuals and that would mean a wait of many more years. Unfortunately, the luxury of time is not one afforded to us; the needs and risks are imminent. Instead, utilizing the already trained and skilled professionals in the way that is needed would make the most sense given the magnitude of the problem and how many professionals are required to make a positive impact.

Pass the bill so that our most vulnerable and afflicted can ACCESS mental health resources. This is about access, this is about wellness, this is about mental health, and this is about long-term devastation to our economy and society if we don't act NOW. This is truly the most efficient, cost-effective, and time-savvy solution to a large-scale problem.