FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 25th, 2024
Contacts:
Dzian Tran // comms@youthpowerproject.org // 818-416-5390
Student-Led Youth Power Project Passes Bipartisan Children’s Mental Health Resolution through U.S. Senate
YPP’s resolution declares a mental health crisis amongst youth in the United States
WASHINGTON, DC—The Youth Power Project, a youth organization striving to empower young people to write legislation, had their bipartisan Senate Resolution introduced by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) outlining the pressing need for historic investments into mental health care for students. This senate resolution follows H.Res. 434—a resolution also authored by YPP—marking the bicameral acknowledgment of the youth mental health crisis in America.
“Our Senate and House resolution not only incorporates youth voices and emphasizes the diversity and intersectionality of the students who crafted it, but also urges direct solutions to be implemented to alleviate mental health stigma and develops tangible mental health support for communities from different backgrounds,” said Ria Babaria, Youth Power Project’s Mental Health Co-Legislative Director. “It is crucial to integrate our voices into policy-making because, without the perspectives of the next generation, policies will lack a holistic and intersectional understanding of the diverse experiences of low-income individuals, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others from various backgrounds.”
"As students who engage on an everyday basis with various aspects of the mental health system, we know exactly what limitations exist and where support ought to be strengthened. Yet, we are too often told that we can't do anything about it or that we don't know enough to make a difference,” said Cady Chen, Youth Power Project’s Mental Health Co-Legislative Director. “We hope that our writing and introduction of this resolution not only encourages adult allies and policymakers to create spaces for youth voices in advocacy and policy making, but also reminds us and our peers that we don't have to silently accept and suffer through a broken mental health system."
The message is clear: youth bring diverse skill sets to the legislative space––being the engine behind this resolution––highlighting issues that must be addressed in the face of America's pressing mental health crisis.
The Youth Power Project is a student-led, nonpartisan organization dedicated to expanding democracy through promoting policy for youth, written by youth––crafting legislation at the local, state, and federal levels. Learn more at https://www.youthpowerproject.org/about
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