Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi Visited the Child Mind Institute this Mental Health Awareness Month

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has dedicated her career to championing America’s children, so for Mental Health Awareness month the Child Mind Institute invited her to learn first-hand about the work the organization is doing to alleviate the child and adolescent mental health crisis.  

On May 19, Pelosi visited the Child Mind Institute in New York City. She kicked off her visit by meeting a group of teen mental health advocates, who shared their concerns about online bullying, academic pressure, and the stigma around mental health disorders.

After their engaging discussion, Pelosi participated in a roundtable with Child Mind Institute clinicians and researchers to hear about the organization’s work.

Harold S. Koplewicz, MD, founding President and Medical Director, started the discussion by speaking about the organization’s initiatives in evidence-based clinical care, anti-stigma campaigns, mental health support in schools, and extensive online resources for families. Pelosi expressed gratitude for the work, especially in light of the increase in teens reporting symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as suicidality. “Thank you for what you do. It really gives hope, and that’s what people want,” she said. “There is such an appetite for what you’re doing. God bless you for being there, scientifically, and clinically.”

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi listened to Jamie Howard, PhD, Director of the Trauma and Resilience Service speak about her work providing trauma services in schools, and she heard Michael Milham, MD, PhD, Vice President and Director of Research discuss the organization’s pivotal role in the advancement of a global culture of open science. He also spoke about his team’s development of next-generation digital tools that will maximize the positive impact of technology on the wellbeing of children, the Youth Mental Health Academy, and the many populations reached by Child Mind Institute programs.

Dave Anderson, PhD, Vice President of School and Community Programs, outlined the Child Mind Institute’s role in delivering mental health care and education to children in high-need school communities for the Speaker Emerita.

There was unanimous agreement at the table that more needs to be done to help children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. “The health of our children is priceless,” said Speaker Emerita Pelosi. So many kids are vulnerable because of pre-existing conditions, and adding in stressors like school shootings, climate anxiety, the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness, and more, it’s clear that they need and deserve more help. As Pelosi put it, mental health disorders are “indiscriminate.”

In closing, the Speaker Emerita invited Child Mind Institute leadership to Washington, D.C. to meet with key members of Congress and make the case for more federal support for mental health skills training in schools, on the model of the Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids project that the Child Mind Institute pioneered with the State of California.