Student Government passes resolution to support a bill advocating for increased mental health clinic

The 90th Student Government unanimously passes a resolution in support of Minnesota H.F. 586 Wednesday.

This bill would implement funding for a community behavioral health center in Mankato. Estimating to cost $1.5 million, the center ideally would be available to students and members of the community.

Emma Zellmer, president of student government, will be going to the state capitol today along with MSU associate professor, Thad Shunkwiler, and Minnesota State Representative, Luke Frederick to testify for this bill.

Zellmer plans to speak on behalf of students and the benefits a mental health clinic would bring to rural areas in Minnesota.

“Right now we are under the national best practice of counselors per student ratio,” Zellmer said. “Rural Minnesota is way under national standards for mental health practitioners in the area. This affects our farmers, and constituents who live and work in Minnesota and I think it’s important to give back to our community in that way.”

Factoring in other variables, it was discussed in the meeting the start of a rural behavioral health training clinic would even employ potential graduate students and attract more students in that field of study to MSU.

“This bill would help solve these problems and is desperately needed. Mankato might seem urban from campus but if you go five minutes away it is rural,” Jordan Muller, a senator in student government said.

Today’s committee meeting at the capitol is one of the preliminary meetings in efforts to pass the bill. If the bill is passed then $750,000 would be allocated in the fiscal year 2024 and $750,000 in the fiscal year 2025 for the clinic.

Header photo: Student Government unanimously passes resolution Wednesday to support a bill advocating for increased mental health clinic. (Dylan Engel/The Reporter)

Write to Julia Lin at julia.barton@mnsu.edu