Senate Bill 224 requires all school districts that offer health classes to include mental health as part of the curriculum
‘Hopefully This Will Change Lives’: Mental Health Curriculum Added to California High School Health Classes Health Classes
Health classes in California high schools soon will cover more than just nutrition and exercise. Thanks to a new law that went into effect Jan. 1, students will learn about depression, schizophrenia, mood disorders and other serious mental health conditions.
By Carolyn Jones of EdSource
Senate Bill 224 requires all school districts that offer health classes to include mental health as part of the curriculum. The California Department of Education has until Jan. 1, 2023, to incorporate mental health into the state standards, and districts have until Jan. 1, 2024, to begin teaching the new material.
“Hopefully this will change lives,” said state Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, who sponsored the bill. “That ninth grader who’s inspired by a health class may go on to save a peer’s life. Every one of us touches so many people in our lives, we see this as having an exponential benefit.”