California Bill Allows Kids to Receive Mental Health Services Without Parental Consent

The California State Capitol building in Sacramento on April 18, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

California legislators recently introduced a bill that would allow children ages 12 and older to consent to mental health services or counseling without parent permission.

Currently, the state allows minors over 12 to consent to such if they are “mature enough to participate intelligently” and if the child is in an abusive situation or in danger of harm to themselves or others, according to the bill’s text.

Assembly Bill 655, introduced Feb. 13 by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), would remove the conditions of abuse or potential harm.

Additionally, the bill would require mental health professionals to receive the minor’s OK to speak with their parents or guardians about the child’s treatment.

The bill cited data from 2021 on the state’s health system by the Commonwealth Fund—a private organization devoted to improving U.S. healthcare—that ranked California 48th in the nation when it comes to providing children with mental health care.

The same study also reported that 18 percent of children who needed mental health care did not receive it.

The bill aims to make access to mental health for youth easier, as some parents or guardians may hold stigmas about such and not seek it for their children, according to the bill’s text.

“Youth ... express significant trepidation about needing to disclose to parents their mental health concerns and their need to access services,” according to the bill. “Providers, particularly school-based providers, find that obtaining parental consent for a youth who needs support is complicated by the parent or caretakers’ beliefs and stigma about mental health care.”

The bill also states that LGBT youth may experience higher rates of depression and anxiety due to rejection from parents and harassment at school.

“Over one-half of surveyed LGBT youth reported that not being able to get permission from their parents or guardians was ... a barrier to accessing mental health services,” the bill reads.

Some, however, say they are concerned the bill may undermine parents’ right to know what their children are experiencing in school.

“Parents should not be shut out of their children’s lives,” Brenda Lebsack, a teacher and former Orange County school board member, told the Epoch Times.

The state has previously ruled for less parent or caretaker communication regarding minor children on other issues.

Its Department of Education updated its guidelines in 2019 for schools to recognize three genders—with “non-binary” as the third—and that school officials may use students’ gender and pronoun preferences and on official records without parental consent.

And under a 2018 state law, foster care youth over 12 can consent to receive transgender hormone replacement therapy or sex change operations.

The bill is expected to be heard in committee in March.