City Council Meeting November 16, 2022 Joint Committee on Education & Child Development and Committee on Health & Human Relations
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated youth mental health issues to the point that 44% of Chicago children experienced an increased in at least one mental or behavioral symptom during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic; and,
WHEREAS students express that they do not feel their needs are being taken seriously by staff in their schools; and,
WHEREAS students have difficulty accessing mental health services in their schools; and,
WHEREAS students want access to professional mental workers in their schools; and,
WHEREAS schools are uniquely situated in their access to large portions of the city's population; and,
WHEREAS the National Association of Social Workers recommends one social worker for every 250 students or one social worker for every 50 students in schools with high levels of trauma but CPS currently has one social worker for every 865 students and many CPS schools face high levels of trauma; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, that CPS should formulate and publicize a clear plan to address the mental health needs of students that have been exacerbated by the pandemic
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that CPS make the commitment to hire social workers for students
Appendix: This resolution was written by members ofthe 1st Ward Youth Council Imani Abdul, Inaya Abdul, Madeleine Desouza, and Fathima Shaikh
