The Georgia General Assembly is in session. For forty days between January and March, our representatives meet to discuss bills and get them passed. From gun control to labor relations, a wide range of issues are presently being discussed at the capitol. House Bill 20, one of their deliberations, would require “all certified public school personnel [meaning teachers, administrators, and counselors] to receive annual training in depression and suicide prevention,” in addition to establishing a Student Mental Health Screening Grant Program which would provide money to districts to fund this program. They would also develop a model policy to guide school systems. This would affect schools, and the students and teachers who spend their days in them, for it would require annual training for teachers, administrators, and counselors about depression and suicide prevention and awareness based on a model policy. Also, it would provide assistance to school systems through funding and a template policy.
Since this bill would directly affect them, some Chamblee High School students have strong opinions regarding this.
Many students fully support this bill to promote awareness of mental health topics.
“Students have more thoughts about these issues than they used to, so teachers should at least be aware of them,” said Ila West (‘25).
Others believe it would improve school spirit as well.
“I think this would very much better the school spirit and mood of the school, and also raise individual student spirits allowing them to become better students as a whole. A specific benefit would be having more students be more joyful, allowing them to better participate in school functions and activities,” said Jackson Hudnall (‘27).
Some students point to the dangers of social media when talking about what is contributing to the rise in depression and suicide.
“I think with social media and just all of the new technology and modern inventions available to us, it’s a good idea for educators and students to look into these training opportunities,” said Eleanor Head (‘28). “I don’t know if there’s really ever any drawbacks to getting extra training, especially not in like the field of suicide and depression prevention.”
Similarly, other students feel awareness of this would never be a bad thing.
“Because students go through issues like this a lot, by being well versed in the topic, teachers can help students deal with what they’re going through,” said Aman Sherefa (‘26).
“Teachers could just tell if a student is off or something, and ask if students needed help, leading to less suicide attempts because they’re catching the depression earlier,” said Mallory Williams (‘26).
Some people think that Chamblee High School in particular may be in need of a program like this.
Hudnall said, “We have a very large school spirit problem, and I believe depression plays a large role in it.”
However, not all students feel this way. Some students feel that, while this issue may be a serious concern across Georgia, it is less frequent at Chamblee High School compared to other schools.
“It’s not like I’ve been here for too long, but based on what I’ve seen, Chamblee doesn’t really need a program like this. Still, it’s always a good thing to have, especially because technology still is improving and advancing,” said Head. “We’re also going through a crazy time in our lives, so probably having some extra training is never a bad idea.”
Other students similarly view Chamblee is doing a relatively good job in promoting mental health.
“I think Chamble is pretty good in this department. They have a lot of opportunities and resources for students to use,” said Sherefa.
Some suggested continuing the program despite the minimal presence of the symptoms it aims to cure.
“I feel like there might be some areas where it’s needed, but I don’t feel like it’s that big of an issue here as it may be at some other schools. Still, this should be statewide for prevention,” said Williams.
Students also foresee some downsides to this bill, like students being exposed to more depressing topics, yet these do not outweigh the benefits as noted above. Other students cautioned teachers to be careful to not overuse their techniques by trying to apply them where they are not applicable.
“Not everyone struggles with the same mental problems, so I guess it would be a good idea for administrators to be aware of that. [This means] not trying to use their training on every single person,” said Head. “Also, if someone comes to [a teacher] obviously help them, but in many cases, I think, people dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts won’t come and seek help. So [what we’d need is teachers] being aware, but not trying to force their training on every single person.”
Most students believe the frequency of the training as provided by the bill is adequate.
Head said, “I think every year is probably good. Teachers are really busy, and though this is important, some people might take training outside of this too,” said Head. “So, just doing this once a year, with their other training I think they have to do, would be fine.”
Others agree with this logic, but feel that training should occur less frequently than every year.
Sherefa said, “It should be less frequent than every year, since teachers already have to deal with a lot of stuff.”
Funding for this program can come from a variety of places.
West suggested, “[Since] it is mandatory, there definitely should be government funding, but parents and students should also donate.”
Specifically, a new tax could be created, or the school could raise money through donations and fundraisers.
“[The program could be funded] through new DeKalb E-SPLOST (Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) tax programs or by fundraising events,” wrote Hudnall.
Though students have some concerns regarding this bill, in general, they support this bill, so they feel it should be adequately funded, through a combination of state support and school fundraisers and donations due to its importance in the everyday lives of Chamblee Students.
