Make America Safe Again

Dear President Trump,

In response to the numerous school shootings, Please re-consider your agenda and work to make the educational system safe for our children.

Consider allocating funding to allow for the following:

*The placement of police sub-stations in middle and high schools that are in at-risk neighborhoods and studying the effect of police presence on the culture of safety.

*The creation of school-based mental health clinics run by nurse practitioners and social workers. This will allow at risk and troubled youth to have immediate access to interventions and services.

*The ability for community-based researchers to work pro-actively with schools to creatively solve the issue at the local level.

Pass federal legislation addressing the minor consent to treat laws for mental health issues. In Washington State, where I live and practice, minors over the age of 13 can consent to mental health treatment without parental consent. The goal isn’t to take the healthcare decision making authority away from parents, the goal is to get youth the help they need before something tragic happens.

Appoint a special task force or committee consisting of educators, healthcare providers, lawyers, social workers, and anyone else who directly works with at risk youth. I believe that the solutions will come from these committees.

Submitted to POTUS May 19, 2018

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