03/06/2023 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION

           SB  24-PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:04:59 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR     TOBIN     reconvened       the    meeting      and    announced      the                                              
consideration     of   SENATE   BILL   NO.  24  "An   Act  relating    to   mental                                              
health education; and providing for an effective date."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:05:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR    GRAY-JACKSON     said  she   appreciated     the  committee    hearing                                               
SB  24  again.   SB   24  encourages    adding   mental   health    education    to                                             
the   list   of  subjects    already    in  statute.    It  also   provides    the                                              
agency names to develop the mental health education curriculum.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:05:59 PM                                                                                                                    
KELLY    MANNING,    Deputy    Director,     Innovation     and   Excellence     in                                             
Education,    Department     of  Education    and  Early   Development    (DEED),                                               
Juneau,    Alaska,    reviewed    the   fiscal   note   OMB   component     number                                              
2796 as follows:                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      The    fiscal     note    includes      the    following     one-time                                                     
      expenses:    1)  $120.0    for  30  committee    members   to  travel                                                     
      twice     a    year    for    in-person      convenings($2.0       per                                                    
      participant);      2)  $36.0  for   services   including    $30.0   to                                                    
      hire    a   facilitator      to    oversee    implementation       and                                                    
      professional      development     for   educators     and   $6.0   for                                                    
      legal     fees   to    implement     the    necessary     regulation                                                      
      changes;    and,   3)   $60.0   for   committee    member    stipends                                                     
      ($2.0 per participant).                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:07:45 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN opened public testimony on SB 24.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:08:33 PM                                                                                                                    
STEVEN    PEARCE,    Director,    Citizens    Commission     on   Human   Rights,                                               
Seattle,    Washington,     testified    in  opposition     to  SB  24.   He  said                                              
he  does   not  support    SB  24  as  written    because    it  creates   a  wish                                              
list    for   the    psychiatric     lobby.    Instead,     it   should     create                                              
meaningful,     effective    education     that   leads   the   next  generation                                                
of   Alaskans     to    health    and   wellness.      For   decades     chemical                                               
imbalances     in  the   brain   were   thought    to  drive   mental    illness.                                               
Last   July,   this  notion   was   called   into   question   by  a  study   that                                              
found   no  convincing     evidence    that  serotonin     abnormalities     cause                                              
depression.     People    take    antidepressants       because    they   believe                                               
depression    has   a biochemical     cause.   The  field   of  psychiatry    does                                              
not   admit   there   is  a  problem    and  therefore     receives   criticism.                                                
Patients    quit   taking   their   medication    because    of  its  inefficacy                                                
and   intolerable     side   effects.     Medications     do  not   achieve    the                                              
desired   goal.   He  said   he  is  seeking   to  correct   the   mistaken   view                                              
of  psychiatric     drugs.   There   are   no  tests   that   analyze    the  body                                              
and   definitively     indicate    depression.      He  opined    that   students                                               
should   learn   a  holistic    approach    to  wellness.     He  stated   he  was                                              
against    devaluing     people's     ability    to   control     themselves     by                                             
encouraging     drugs    to   avoid   stigmatizing      labels.    Some   doctors                                               
make   a   living    dealing    with   psychiatry's      failures.    Psychiatry                                                
does    not   look    for    physical     causes    of   mental     illness,     so                                             
psychiatrists      do   not    screen    to   identify     physical     ailments,                                               
nutritional     deficiencies,     allergies,    and  toxic   levels   of  metals.                                               
He   questioned    trusting     a  system    that   puts   labels   on   patients                                               
without verification.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:14:29 PM                                                                                                                    
MADISON    TRUITT,   representing     self,   Juneau,    Alaska,    testified    in                                             
opposition    to   SB  24.  She   said   she  works   as  a  Behavioral     Health                                              
Aide.   She  provided    a  metaphor    of  people   repeatedly     falling   into                                              
a  river   and  being   rescued    to  describe    the   current   state   of  the                                              
mental    healthcare    system    in  Alaska    and   nationwide.     She   opined                                              
that   teaching   mental   health   awareness    early   in  a  child's   life   is                                             
the   first   step   to  prevention.     It   teaches    children    about   their                                              
emotions,    feelings    and  how   to  express    themselves.    Mental    health                                              
education    is   key   to  long-term     and  holistic     well-being.     Coping                                              
and   attachment      styles    are   learned     based    on   what    a   person                                              
witnesses     in    childhood.     What    they    witness    often     leads    to                                             
struggles     such   as   alcoholism,     addiction,     depression,     anxiety,                                               
domestic    violence,    and  suicide.    Mental    healthcare    should   not   be                                             
only    for    the    wealthy.      Normalizing      mental     health    through                                               
conversation     reduces   stigma.    She  stated   that  SB  24  made   her  feel                                              
hopeful    because    it  allows    indigenous     people    to  care   for   each                                              
other.   She   said   mental    health   education    as   a  child   would   have                                              
helped    her  navigate    the   loss   of   her  partner    when   she   was  20.                                              
Every   child   deserves   an  opportunity     to  understand    their   feelings                                               
and   learn   healthy    coping    methods.    Knowledge     empowers    children                                               
astronomically.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:19:34 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR TOBIN closed public testimony on SB 24.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:19:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR    STEVENS   moved   to   report   SB  24,   work   order   33-LS0232\A,                                                
from    committee     with   individual      recommendations       and   attached                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:19:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   TOBIN   found   no  objection    and   SB  24  was   reported    from  the                                              
Senate Education Standing Committee.