Education
Pritzker Signs Legislation to Implement Universal Mental Health Screenings in Illinois Schools
Gov. JB Pritzker signs a law on July 31, 2025, at Chute Middle School in Evanston to implement universal mental health screenings in Illinois schools. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)
Students in third to 12th grade in Illinois will be able to take annual mental health screenings starting in the 2027-2028 school year, under a bill Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law Thursday.
“(Screenings) provide early identification and intervention, so that those who are struggling get the help that they need as soon as possible,” Pritzker said. “They improve academic and social outcomes. They help us break down the stigma that, too often, is a barrier to seeking help.”
The mental health screenings would be self-assessed, with students being able to take the screening on a tablet or a form, according to Dana Weiner, chief officer for the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative under the governor’s office, and who was credited for laying the foundation for the piece of legislation.
Parents can opt their students out of mental health screenings if they wish, Weiner added.
The screenings are a form of detection, and are not meant to serve as a diagnosis, according to state Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), who chairs the mental health committee.
“We’ve got children in third grade who are struggling, and we need to be able to reach these kids, and now, they will have access to that age-appropriate and confidential mental health screening,” Fine said. “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.”
The law makes Illinois the first state in the country to mandate universal mental health screenings in schools, Pritzker said during a bill signing ceremony at Chute Middle School in Evanston.
Evanston-Skokie School District 65, which Chute Middle School is under, has conducted mental health screenings for students for the last five years, according to district superintendent Angel Turner. The district served as an early partner in the work to support universal mental health screenings for students, state officials said.
“We deserve better,” Abhinav Anne, an incoming senior at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville and youth advocate, said during the bill signing event. “We deserve systems that listen before we scream, that act before we fall.”
In addition to requiring all school districts to offer mental health screenings by the 2027-2028 school year, the bill also requires the Illinois State Board of Education to provide resource materials and guidance to schools on how to implement universal mental health screenings by Sept. 1, 2026.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
