Illinois gov JB Pritzker lambasted for new 'disastrous policy' requiring mental health screenings for kids

The law, set to take effect in the 2027-2028 school year, directs schools to provide self-conducted screenings each year using digital or paper forms. Parents will have the ability to opt their children out.

Supporters say the initiative will help schools identify early signs of depression, anxiety or trauma - before they develop into crises. But critics argue the plan could create more problems than it solves.

"I want to be on-the-record and crystal clear. This is a disastrous policy that will do vastly more harm than good," Abigail Shrier, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, wrote on X. "Watch as tens of thousands of Illinois kids get shoved into the mental health funnel and convinced they are sick. Many or most of which will be false positives."

"If a school nurse or a state-mandated mental health test tells you you're sick, you're going to believe them," Boyle wrote. "This is why so many families are opting out of primary school completely - the overreach is astounding."

Illinois education officials say the screenings will not be diagnostic and are designed to flag students who may benefit from further evaluation. The Illinois State Board of Education will develop the screening tools and guidelines by September 2026, and school districts will be responsible for implementing them.

"Mental health is essential to academic readiness and lifelong success," State Superintendent Tony Sanders said in a statement. "Too often, we only recognize a student's distress when it becomes a crisis. With universal screening, we shift from reaction to prevention."

Dana Weiner, chief officer of the governor's Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, said the screenings will be optional for families and conducted privately.

State Sen. Laura Fine, a Democrat and lead sponsor of the bill, said the effort aims to normalize mental health care for children and teens. "The screenings will be designed to catch the early signs of anxiety, depression or trauma before it becomes a crisis or, in some cases, sometimes too late," she said.

"Universal mental health screenings are going to get us nothing except possibly finding things, finding reasons for denial of coverage of insurance," Reick said.