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WNY schools implementing new mental health education requirement

The first week of school may now be in the books, but there's still a lot of adjusting to do. Especially for teachers and administrators who are working to implement mental health education into their 2018-2019 school year curriculum.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The first week of school may now be in the books, but there's still a lot of adjusting to do. Especially for teachers and administrators who are working to implement mental health education into their 2018-2019 school year curriculum.

The New York mental health education law is the first of it's kind in the nation and it went into effect in July. And now, school districts all over the state of New York are working to comply with it.

It requires mental health education in all K-12 classrooms.

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Teachers aren't alone in implementing this. They will have help from the state. One million dollars in grant funding helped create the School Mental Health Resource & Training Center. It's based in Albany, but the Mental Health Association in New York State's 26 regional offices are also providing support.

But these resources are not just for teachers and administrators. We're told students and their families can access it, too.

There's an online portal, as well as over the phone and e-mail support, with information about mental health.

"There is a growing need for information about mental health related issues," explains MHANYS CEO, Glenn Liebman. "We've seen an increase in the number of young people who have mental health related issues. So, we looked at this, and said this is a real opportunity to again be a soft touch...we're not expecting to teach about Psychology 101 or anything like that...but just a basic understanding about mental health."

In the process of talking to Liebman and the MHANYS spokesperson today, 2 On Your Side asked them what school districts in Western New York are already implementing this important mental health education.

And they told us Niagara Falls School District was way ahead of the curve because the school district had mental health education made available to teachers and staff, district-wide, over the summer.

The training center's resources are mostly web-based, so teachers can find downloadable lesson plans online.

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