HHS to Host Federal Commission on School Safety Meeting, Focus on the Integration of Behavioral Health into America’s Schools

Event Date: JULY 11, 2018

Contacts: HHS Press Office, Press Office: (202) 690-6343, media@hhs.gov

Education Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov;

Washington – Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II will host the second Federal Commission on School Safety (FCSS) meeting this week. The session will focus on behavioral health integration in America’s schools.

WHO: Commission Members – Chair, Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education; Jeff Sessions, Attorney General of the United States; Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of Health and Human Services; and Kirstjen M. Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security – and subject matter experts

WHAT: Commission Meeting “Curating a Healthier & Safer Approach: Issues of Mental Health and Counseling for our Young”

WHERE: Eisenhower Executive Office Building’s Indian Treaty Room

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Wednesday, July 11, 2018

The Commission meeting will include three panels: 

Panel 1: Integrating Behavioral Health Services into Schools

  • Sheryl Kataoka, M.D. is Professor-in-Residence in the UCLA Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Panel 2: Psychotropic Medications for Children  

  • Gabrielle A. Carlson, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics and Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at State University of New York
  • Mark Olfson, M.D., MPH, is Professor of Psychiatry and Epidemiology, Mental Health Services Researcher and Research Psychiatrist at Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute

Panel 3:  Addressing Confidentiality Issues Related to HIPAA/FERPA

  • Jennifer Mathis is Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
  • Doris A. Fuller is a mental illness researcher and advocate
  • Sonja Trainor is the Managing Director of Legal Advocacy at the National School Boards Association (NSBA)
  • John Verdi is Vice President of Policy at the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF)

Press Access: Wednesday's Commission meeting will be pooled press and available via livestream (click here). 

For more information, please visit the FCSS website: https://www.ed.gov/school-safety. Anyone with recommendations on how to increase school safety is encouraged to send their ideas to safety@ed.gov.

Reporters with questions should send inquiries to media@samhsa.hhs.gov.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.

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