CRAZY KIDS? Test young school children for mental illness, Ortiz says
Citing the shocking results of a study by the New York City Department of Health, which found that 1 out of 5 pre-teens in the city struggles with mental health issues, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Sunset Park) said he wants to have kids analyzed.
Ortiz, former chairman of the Assembly Mental Health Committee, said he has introduced a bill to conduct mental health screenings in all public schools to detect problems in children early so that the youngsters can receive the help they need.
The bill also calls for a mental health professional to be stationed in each elementary school in the city.