State Senator Anthony J. Portantino received the 2022 Senate Legislative Champion Award from the California Alliance of Child and Family Services during its Homecoming Conference. The State Senator was honored for championing policies that promote the social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing of children and families. 

“I am proud to advocate for comprehensive mental health policies that benefit our children and families and I am very humbled to receive this honor,” stated State Senator Portantino. “I am also privileged to work alongside many advocacy organizations dedicated to improving mental health outcomes for those in need. Together we will continue to push forward policies that are critical to ensuring the long-term wellbeing and academic success of our kids.”

State Senator Portantino has a strong record of advocating for mental health policies and has been dedicated to improving youth mental health outcomes during his time in public office. The State Senator previously authored SB 972, which required schools to print the suicide hotline on student identification cards. He dedicated three years to pass SB 328, a policy which pushes back start times for middle and high schools. Scientific data and research show that later school start times lead to improved mental health for kids, with reductions in instances of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. For his past work, State Senator Portantino received the Children’s Hero Award from the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and has been recognized by Family Services Agency in Burbank and Sycamores in Pasadena. Last year, the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA) honored the State Senator as a behavioral health champion.

State Senator Portantino is the author of multiple bills aimed at improving mental health outcomes for youth. SB 224 requires local educational agencies, which currently offer one or more courses in health education to middle or high school students, to include mental health content in those courses. It also requires that the California Dept. of Education develop a plan to expand mental health instruction in California public schools on or before Jan. 1, 2024. SB 14 requires the California Dept. of Education to recommend best practices and identify training programs to address youth behavioral health, including but not limited to, staff and pupil training. Additionally, the bill ensures that youth absences from school for mental health issues will be treated as an excused absence in the same way any other health issues are treated. This year, State Senator Portantino authored SB 1302 to establish or improve wellness and mental health support centers on campuses, which is on the Governor’s desk for signature.

The California Alliance of Child and Family Services promotes the health, wellbeing and safety of children, youth and families in California and serves as a collective voice for organizations that serve children, youth and families.