Credit: (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

For a year as head of the National Governors Association, Gov. Phil Murphy pitched for a national response to the crisis in youth mental health.  

On Thursday, he offered up his plan. Now it’s up to him and other governors to choose which of the priorities and actions outlined in this plan they will implement to address their states’ youth mental health crisis. 

Murphy created the “Strengthening Youth Mental Health” playbook with support from a bipartisan group of governors, traveling the country to speak with stakeholders in Salt Lake City, Detroit, Philadelphia and Santa Monica. Governors from Wyoming to Delaware voiced their support for the initiative in an introductory video played at the conference, showing the widespread support for improving youth mental health. 

“This topic transcends party lines as too many of our young people are struggling right now,” Murphy said.  

The number of young people reporting poor mental health has increased in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 6 U.S. youth ages six to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year and 50% of all lifelong mental illnesses begin by age 14, data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows. 

The playbook is intended to serve as a resource for governors, states and policymakers to use when addressing youth mental health challenges in their own communities, Murphy said. It includes four pillars — prevention, reducing stigma, increasing access to care and supporting caregivers — which are broken down into 13 priorities and 35 policy opportunities. The playbook also highlights existing policies that have proven effective in other states. 

Murphy, a second-term Democrat who can’t seek reelection, is currently serving as the chairman of the National Governors Association, which gives him the opportunity to raise an issue to other governors at the national level.  

First lady Tammy Murphy also developed a playbook on improving maternal and infant health, which she described as closely connected to youth mental health. Tammy Murphy has made improving maternal health in New Jersey, which has had some of the worst outcomes in the nation, a cornerstone of her public work alongside her husband. 

“Many of the challenges we see in our country’s youth mental health crisis relate directly to issues that started with struggles related to maternal and infant health,” Gov. Murphy said. “It makes sense that we continue to consider these issues together and develop shared solutions that give children in our states the support they need and deserve to get the best start in life.” 

As part of his effort to address youth mental health needs nationally and in New Jersey, Murphy signed a bill to expand reimbursement to New Jersey public schools that offer behavioral health services to students covered by Medicaid. 

Here are some of the main takeaways from Murphy’s “Strengthening Youth Mental Health” playbook: 

Addressing prevention and building resilience 

• Leaders need to provide tools for young people to cope with challenges to reduce the risk of developing mental health conditions. 
• Proactively identifying and managing existing mental health conditions can help prevent crises. 
• Opportunities for action: Create healthy school climates; provide funding for mental health screenings in schools and other community hubs; allocate funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline  

Increasing awareness and reducing stigma 

• Policymakers must raise awareness about mental health and available resources to erase the stigma and enable youth to seek help. 
• Opportunities for action: Provide guidance for teaching mental health in schools; support the use of digital tools for reporting mental health issues and finding support 

Ensuring access and affordability of quality treatment and care 

• Removing barriers to care, such as high costs and an understaffed mental health workforce, is key to meeting young people’s needs. 
• Opportunities for action: Bolster Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage for access to mental health care; expand pathways for people to enter the youth mental health field; support the use of telehealth 

Training and supporting caregivers and educators 

• Expanding training and support for people who care for and interact with youth can help identify mental health needs and connect young people with support. 
• Opportunities for action: Train educators to recognize warning signs of mental health challenges; support faith and community-based mental health programs 

The playbook urges governors to work toward the four pillars by setting an agenda prioritizing mental health in their state, allocating funding, supporting legislation and organizing stakeholders. Although not every potential action will work in all 50 states, the playbook aims to share best practices and replicable solutions that already exist in different parts of the country.  

“Governors have the opportunity to devote time, attention and resources to develop supports for youth of all needs — saving the lives of our most vulnerable youth and championing a holistic system around mental wellness,” the playbook reads.  

It’s going to be up to each governor — including Murphy — to adopt the playbook’s recommendations and commit to strengthening youth mental health in their states.