CONCORD, N.C. — A Concord woman advocated for a bill to increase awareness about mental health resources for public school students.

What You Need To Know

  • The Student Mental Health Line Awareness Act would require suicide safety numbers on the back on school student IDs 
  • This would apply for children from grade 6 to 12
  • Rebekah Collins, a mental health advocate with experience of a crisis, worked to get the attention of legislators to file this bill
  • If passed, the bill would go into effect this upcoming school year

The Student Mental Health Line Awareness Act would require suicide safety numbers to be printed on the back of student IDs serving students in grades 6 through 12. 

Mental health advocate Rebekah Collins started reaching out to legislators in December with the hopes of getting the attention of legislators for them to draft and file this bill. 

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth 10 to 18 in the state.

With the act, school student IDs would have the 988 Lifeline number, the Crisis Text Line and the State Peer Warmline.

“I think this is incredibly important. No parent should have to outlive their child. Raising awareness, especially in grades 6 to 12, I believe will save lives for students in North Carolina,” Collins said.

The latest NCDHHS statistics on youth suicide show 65 youth suicide deaths in the state in 2022. Suicide among 10 to 18 year olds increased 30% from 2013 to 2022. 

Collins had her own mental health crisis at a young age. 

She said at age 18, she was involuntarily committed to a mental hospital where she was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

“I dealt with really difficult, intrusive thoughts about harm, and I didn't know what that meant. It was very scary to me, and I just felt like there were no other options, which made me struggle with suicidal thoughts,” Collins said. 

She now works in the mental health field and is in graduate school to become a therapist. 

“From my own lived experience and working with youth and young adults every day in the Charlotte, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus county area, I know a lot of times the youth that are struggling want to reach out for help, but they don't know what resources are available to them,” Collins said. 

Rep. Allen Buansi, a Democrat from Orange County, filed this bill on April 7. Collins said she worked closely with his office on the language of this bill. 

It passed first reading in the House and was referred to the Committee on Education. The bill has both Democratic and Republican sponsors.

“Very hopeful that this will be voted and passed, but I feel very optimistic that advocates, no matter how small you may think your voice is, it can have an impact,” Collins said. 

If it becomes law, it will go into effect this upcoming school year.