A Queens lawmaker has passed legislation to expand youth mental health support in schools.
Council Member Linda Lee sponsored Int989-A, which requires the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to create student wellness club toolkits. The toolkits will assist middle and high school students in forming peer-led student wellness clubs.
Additionally, the bill required the Department of Education (DOE) to post guidelines on its website on starting student clubs at school and have the student wellness club toolkits available to all middle and high school students.
Lee, who represents District 23—encompassing neighborhoods such as Fresh Meadows, Bayside, Jamaica and Queens Village, said in a statement that she is pleased to pass legislation that continues the City Council’s advocacy on mental health focused on the city’s youth. “As our Mental Health Roadmap expands to incorporate the mental health challenges of our youth, my bill, Intro. 989 will require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to guide students in creating peer-led wellness groups to facilitate their well-being. Peer support services are among the most effective and rapidly growing healthcare models. These support services can serve as a valuable resource for our school communities as our city continues to combat the ongoing mental health crisis.”
Lee’s legislation is a part of a youth mental health legislation package as part of the fourth ‘stop’ of the council’s Mental Health Roadmap, a comprehensive and evolving plan to improve mental health outcomes for New Yorkers.
Speaker Adrienne Adams first introduced a focus on peer-based mental health programs for youth in her 2024 State of the City Address. The city council held a series of meetings with stakeholders to understand the mental health stuggles of younger New Yorkers and find potential solutions. The legislative package is listening sessions with stakeholders to understand better the struggles of young New Yorkers and possible solutions.
