Youth council urges in-state eating-disorder facility, mental-health days and funding for teen spaces

Claire Zantstra, chair of the youth council’s Youth Mental Health Committee, told the Senate Government Operations Committee that Vermont lacks inpatient eating-disorder facilities for young adolescents and that families must sometimes relocate for care.

“Currently, there are no facilities within the state that accept teens under the age of 15,” Zantstra said. The committee recommended the General Assembly fund construction of at least one inpatient eating-disorder facility in the state that would accept people ages 11–17. As an alternative if construction could not be funded in the current biennium, the council urged funding to expand an outpatient program in Burlington.

The committee also recommended the legislature authorize excused mental-health days for middle and high school students—three per semester for most students and five per semester for students with a clinical diagnosis; for trimester systems, two days and three to four days respectively. The council said mental-health days should not be taken in consecutive blocks, would not roll over between terms and that students could make up missed work with reasonable accommodations.

On teen spaces, the youth council proposed multiyear grant funding for teen centers that apply annually, and asked that centers be staffed by people trained in youth mental health and be inclusive of students with mental and physical disabilities.

Claire Zantstra cited survey and parental-opinion figures during the presentation and asked the committee to consider the immediate need for local services given long waitlists and out-of-state placement for care. Committee members thanked the presenters; no committee votes were taken on these proposals during the hearing.