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- Lawmakers advanced a bill Friday allowing parents to restrict topics in school therapy.
- Mental health professionals warn the bill could hinder identifying abuse and suicide risks.
- Supporters argue it strengthens parental rights over what their kids can discuss.
SALT LAKE CITY — A panel of state lawmakers advanced a bill that would allow parents to make certain subjects taboo in conversations between their child and a school therapist, over concerns from many mental health professionals who said the provision could make it harder for therapists to identify children who are being abused.
Debate on HB281 stretched for nearly 90 minutes in a packed committee room in the Senate Building on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City Friday afternoon, with those arguing on both sides that the bill would either help or potentially harm children who access mental health therapy at school. Rep. Stephanie Gricius, the bill's sponsor, and others in favor argued that the bill protects parental rights by allowing them to opt their children out of discussing particular topics with therapists.
"Our parents are the No. 1 people responsible for the raising of their children," said Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain. "I would hope that we can give parents more of a voice."
Gricius' bill was described as a "Christmas tree" of policy proposals, including codifying requirements for students attending telehealth appointments, addressing consent for the instruction of sex education and adding curriculum on the "success sequence," but the vast majority of time was spent on the controversy over therapy.
The bill also requires in-school mental health therapists to provide notice after each session to the parent that a session took place, along with "a description of the topic of the therapy." An amendment approved by the committee allows the parent to opt out of notice after each appointment in an effort to lessen the workload on school therapists.
Several professionals noted that parental consent is already required whenever therapists work with students — with some exceptions for cases of imminent harm — and said the explicit banning of certain subjects could prevent therapists from helping kids who are being abused or struggling with thoughts of suicide.
Sarah Stroup, with the Utah Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, said it is "rare that we get a direct disclosure of abuse" from children, and said it's important for therapists to be able to ask direct questions. Her organization, and several others representing therapists and psychologists in the state, spoke in strong opposition to the bill.
"If a parent says that we cannot talk about sex, then how do we assess for sexual abuse?" Stroup asked. "In reality, we are potentially increasing risk and harm to children in this area. We are potentially protecting perpetrators. One in 10 children will be sexually abused in their lifetime, and of those cases, 90% will be by a known and trusted adult."
Joel Johnson, with the Utah chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, echoed similar statements and said the bill is "creating undue hardship" when it comes to treatment.
"The bill kind of fails to address those situations where the parent may not be the best advocate for a child, particularly in situations involving abuse, neglect or other safety concerns," he said.
But supporters of the bill — including several parents — took issue with that characterization, saying parents are, and should be, primarily responsible for the mental health and treatment of their children.
Brooke Stephens, a mother who said her children have benefited from therapy, took issue with a school therapist potentially asking one of her children about thoughts of self-harm.
"You will not ask my child if they're feeling suicidal," she said. "That's a leading question, and that's just like one of the topics I would list (to prohibit being discussed). So, if that's a necessary thing to ask in here, I think we really need HB281 so that the parents can say: 'Do not ask this question.'"
Aaron Bullen, a father from Lehi, was similarly strident in favor of the bill, saying, "Therapists serve at the pleasure of the parents."
"They are not detectives that are hired to track down kids that may be victims of abuse," he said. "Your job is not to extract confessions from children."
Other opponents seemed to make a broader critique about public schools, appearing to lean in to some of the culture war issues about gender and sexuality.
"Human sexuality has kind of gotten out of control in the schools based on some rules that were passed by the state Board of Education," said Maryann Christensen, with the Utah Legislative Watch.
Republicans on the committee largely agreed with the parental rights arguments raised and voted to advance the bill, after some wrangling over specific wording and proposed changes. House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, R-Syracuse, said that while some parents may not be the best advocates for their children, "I think it is important to ask whose job it is to determine who is the best advocate for a child."
"We are putting children at risk if we do not pass this bill," she said. "This bill places the responsibility for children and mental health care exactly where it belongs: with the parents."
