Across rural Michigan and right here in the 78th District, families are facing a mental health crisis that demands urgent attention. Rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among young people have risen sharply over the last decade and rural communities bear a disproportionately higher burden. Rural Americans die by suicide at rates nearly twice that of their urban counterparts and the 78th district is not immune to that reality. Limited access to mental health providers, a shortage of specialists in rural communities, and the stigma that still surrounds asking for help means too many people in our district are suffering and dying in silence. According to the CDC, suicide is now the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 34. In rural communities like ours, the risks are even greater and the resources are even fewer.

We cannot ignore this. Too many families are carrying this pain quietly and too many people, including our youth, are struggling without the support they need. Our communities deserve more than sympathy. They deserve action, investment, and real commitment that turns concern into change.

Michigan’s new cell phone policy for schools is a meaningful first step for creating a healthy environment for our youth while in school and I fully support its implementation. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises limiting student screen time to prevent physical, mental, and developmental issues. Prioritizing sleep, exercise, and in-person social interaction supports healthier development in our children. Michigan's new cell phone policy supports the AAP’s research and provides eight hours a day away from devices creating space for something we have been losing quietly for years. Real face to face conversation. Meaningful human connection. A break from the constant noise, comparison, and pressure that follows our kids everywhere they go on their screens. That space matters and I will encourage every school district in the 78th to develop a thoughtful community driven plan that works for their students. This is an opportunity for communities to come together through their local school boards and decide what that looks like for their kids.

This conversation must also include the ability to implement mental health screening as part of routine pediatric care. The AAP recommends annual Anxiety Screening beginning at age 8 and annual Depression & Suicide Risk Screening starting at age 12. We already require yearly checkups that track physical growth and development. Adding standardized mental health assessments to those visits means we can catch warning signs early rather than waiting for a crisis. Between 2022 and 2023 a significant percentage of children ages 3 to 17 had diagnosed anxiety and depression. I will advocate for legislation that makes mental health screening a routine part of care across Michigan.

Life skills education is another valuable tool in addressing and preventing mental health crises. This type of education must be brought back to our schools as a mandatory part of the curriculum. Beginning in junior high and continuing through high school, students should receive age appropriate instruction in emotional literacy, recognizing depression and anxiety, consent and sexual health, peer relationships and how to ask for help. The CDC tells us that young people who feel connected at school are less likely to experience poor mental health, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, substance use, violence and sexual risk behaviors. This is not new. Many schools did this well for years. It is time to bring it back and strengthen it.

Every student also deserves regular check-ins with a school counselor, not only when something goes wrong, but preventively and consistently. Just as we track attendance and academic progress, we should be paying attention to student wellbeing on a regular basis. School counselors and social workers play a critical role in this work and their presence in our schools should be protected, not cut, when budgets get tight.

Even with all of the administrative tools, mental healthcare access, and prevention measures in place, peer to peer support remains one of the most effective tools we have. Young people are often more likely to open up to a friend than an adult. Training student peer supporters to recognize warning signs and connect struggling classmates to help create a safety net that reaches where adults sometimes cannot. I will support programs that build this capacity in schools across the district.

Lastly, we need to bring the conversation to that of culture. These conversations are not easy, they can be painful and uncomfortable but they matter. Together we can build communities that are more open, more honest, and less afraid to talk about mental health. I will use every platform available to me as a community organizer and as your representative to help lead those conversations and turn them into meaningful action across the 78th District.

Mental health is healthcare. Michigan has made meaningful progress in expanding access to mental health services and I am committed to continuing and building on that work. The state has taken important steps to expand Medicaid coverage for mental health services, standardize mental health assessments for both children and adults, and grow behavioral health programs that serve our most vulnerable residents. This progress is worth protecting and expanding. But access alone is not enough if services are not available in rural communities like ours. I will advocate at every level to make sure the progress Michigan has made reaches every corner of the 78th district, not just our larger cities.

Mental health access belongs in our schools, in our doctors' offices, in our community conversations, and at the top of our legislative agenda. This is an issue that cannot be tackled by one person alone. It takes a community dedicated to creating a healthier environment where both our children and our adults can grow and thrive. Together with the people of the 78th district I am ready to help lead the conversation in Michigan, because doing nothing is not an option. The 78th District deserves better and together we will fight for it.