Access To Mental and Behavioral Health Care for Students in K-12 Schools

The Iowa Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights adopted a proposal to undertake a study of access to mental and behavioral health care for K-12 students. The focus of the Committee’s inquiry was to examine civil rights concerns regarding access to mental and behavioral health care for students in Iowa’s K-12 schools on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, and/or national origin. Specifically, the Committee sought to examine the extent to which specific state or local policies and practices may contribute to indicated disparities, as well as alternative practices or recommendations with the demonstrated potential to address such concerns.