More (Mental Health) Help is On the Way!

Aug 21, 2026

A Bipartisan Win for Mental Health. Now Comes the Bigger Work.

When a child needs mental health care, a geographical state line should not create an unnecessary barrier between that child and a qualified counselor.

PA lawmakers agree – and a new lifeline will soon be available for the thousands of children and teens needing preventative mental health support.

With overwhelming bipartisan approval last month, PA became the 40th state to join the Counseling Compact. This expands the number of counselors in PA by simplifying the “permission to practice” regulations for eligible licensed professional counselors from other Counseling Compact states.

More qualified providers for PA children and families, especially via telehealth, will help address the long waiting lists and get kids support early before a mental health crisis occurs. and allow people to keep seeing their trusted counselor when they travel or relocate.

The Counseling Compact is a step in the right direction and a prime example of effective bipartisan policymaking: identify a practical obstacle, preserve professional standards and public protections, and work across party lines to make care easier to reach.

This is what happens when super-advocates come together to push for change. Counselors, professional associations, parents, teenagers, and advocates came together to build the support for this commonsense policy change.

Senator Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh) and Representative Jennifer O’Mara (D-Delaware) deserve special appreciation as sponsors of the legislation that passed with wide support from both sides of the aisle (45–5 in the Senate and 188–14 in the House).

Let’s be clear, though – this victory is not the total solution but in a time when partisan bickering trumps collaboration, this is a win to celebrate and savor.

The Counseling Compact can’t create enough counselors in every PA community. It can’t guarantee that a provider accepts Medicaid, that a school has the staff and resources to support its students, or that a family can find help before a child reaches a crisis point. It does not eliminate long waitlists or build the full continuum of prevention, early support, treatment, and intensive services that children need.

Through the Strong Minds, Bright Futures Partnership, Children First and more than 115 partner organizations are working to build a children’s mental health system that reaches young people earlier and closer to home, in schools, community organizations, and doctor’s offices.

This week, Strong Minds, Bright Futures held a virtual town hall with young people and lawmakers. The message was clear: young people need support that comes earlier, is easier to find, and is connected to the people and places they already trust. Families shouldn’t have to navigate a confusing system alone. Watch the town hall to hear firsthand accounts from children and teens because young people must be part of shaping what comes next.

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Speaking of mental health: the Children First office will be closed next week (August 24 – August 28) for a staff Wellness Week. We apologize for any inconvenience while our staff takes time to relax, recharge, recenter, and reconnect with friends and loved ones.

SAVE HEAD START! Tell your D.C. lawmakers to pressure the Trump Administration to halt plans to dismantle Head Start. Click here to send your message.

Another attack on Head Start may be on the way. A new proposed rule is under review entitled, “Ensuring Program Integrity for Head Start Programs.” More details to come but experience tells us it’s likely not good.

For the third year in a row, PA lawmakers from both parties increased K-12 education funding. But, a $3.3 billion adequacy gap remains, and nearly 70% of PA public school students still attend schools without enough resources.

Join PA Schools Work for a conversation on what this year’s budget delivers, why the Commonwealth Court’s unconstitutional funding ruling still matters, and what’s next in closing the gap. Register here.

Upper Darby, the state’s sixth-largest municipality, has the county’s highest lead poisoning rate. This week, the Upper Darby Township Council voted unanimously to pass a lead prevention housing ordinance, prioritizing the long-term safety of the community’s children!

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