JUNEAU, AK – At a time when Alaska faces urgent youth mental health and suicide prevention challenges, state legislators this past Saturday voted to sustain Governor Mike Dunleavy’s veto of SB 41, Public Schools: Mental Health Education–a bipartisan bill that would have directed the State Board of Education to develop guidelines for mental health education for public schools, equipping young people with practical knowledge to recognize signs of distress in themselves and others, reduce stigma, and know how to ask for help.

Despite strong bipartisan support during the legislative session, the override effort fell short of the two-thirds majority required. This outcome is deeply disappointing for the students, families, educators, and mental health professionals who have been urging state leaders to prioritize youth mental health.

Local advocates, students, and families were a driving force in getting SB41 passed through the legislature. This past March, Inseparable partnered with advocates from the Alaska chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in their annual Advocacy in Action Day at the Capitol, where community members shared powerful, personal stories of about how suicide has touched their lives, their families, and their communities.

“Alaska is in the midst of a mental health crisis that affects communities in every corner of our state. As mental health and suicide prevention are being discussed more openly and urgently than ever, we must recognize that investing in mental health education is essential to the health and wellbeing of our communities. This bill was critical to setting our students up for success and strengthening future generations,” said SB 41 sponsor Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson. “I am deeply disappointed that the legislature voted to sustain Governor Dunleavy’s veto, and that our youngest Alaskans will not yet have the mental health support they need during the most difficult periods of growth in their lives. This is about more than just youth mental health policy, it’s a moral obligation — and we cannot let this be the end of the conversation.”

Senator Gray-Jackson’s commitment to this issue extends beyond SB 41–she joined Inseparable’s State Mental Health Caucus earlier this year. A bipartisan network of over 250 state leaders, the caucus brings together legislators from across the country to share ideas, track emerging trends, and develop policies that expand access to mental health and substance use care across 47 states. 

“Inseparable is proud to partner with Senator Gray-Jackson as she continues to lead on expanding access to mental healthcare in Alaska,” said Caitlin Hochul, Senior Vice President of Policymaker Relations at Inseparable. “Her leadership on mental health education and commitment to commonsense policy solutions make her a strong champion for Alaskans, and we look forward to working together to drive continued progress.” 

In the coming months and into the next session, Inseparable and its partners will continue working with lawmakers, advocates, providers, and community leaders to create a future where mental health is no longer an add-on or an afterthought, and everyone can get the care they need. 

Inseparable is a national nonprofit working to make mental health care available to all. Since its founding in 2020, Inseparable has advanced more than 100 bipartisan wins for mental health on both the state and federal levels, including notable policy advancement in Utah, Colorado, Delaware, Washington, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and more.