MADISON, Wis. (Gray) – Wisconsin lawmakers held a public hearing Tuesday to discuss a bill that would launch a two-year pilot program providing free virtual mental health services for students.
The bill would allocate $1.5 million per school year until 2028 to launch virtual therapy services for 50,000 Wisconsin students in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The program would include peer-to-peer support services and access to licensed mental health professionals.
“This legislation focuses on prevention, early intervention and accessibility,” said state Rep. Benjamin Franklin, the bill’s author.
Katie Rudek, a licensed mental health professional and vice president of clinical integration at Kooth testified in support of the bill.
Kooth, a U.K.-based online mental health and wellbeing platform, is a likely vendor for the program. The company has spent $78,000 lobbying in support of the bill, according to Wisconsin Ethics Commission filings.
“The bill provides students with practical, low-barrier support,” Rudek said.
Democratic lawmakers spent over an hour questioning the bill’s logistics during the public hearing.
“Why are we trying to meet mental health needs with more screens, more anonymity, less people when we know that this is a concern?” state Rep. Robyn Vyning, D-Wauwatosa said.
The bill needs to pass in committee before being scheduled for a floor vote.
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