NC Lawmakers Consider $1.3M for Teen Mental Health Training After Student Suicide
Parents whose son died by suicide testify for $1.3M bill to expand peer mental health training in NC schools.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina lawmakers are considering legislation that would provide $1.3 million in funding to expand peer-to-peer mental health training in high schools across the state, following testimony from parents whose teenage son died by suicide last year.
House Bill 1159, titled “Investing in Teen Mental Health,” would appropriate funding to the Department of Health and Human Services to expand access to Teen Mental Health First Aid training throughout North Carolina.
Mother Shares Son’s Story
Danielle South told lawmakers Wednesday that her 17-year-old son Parker appeared to have everything going for him before his death on November 11, 2025. The Myers Park High School student was described as a hardworking student who excelled in sports and had a vibrant personality.
“We truly believe that because of the lack of conversation, and because of the stigma surrounding mental health, that Parker did not know what was happening to him was a health issue — that it was temporary and that it could be fixed,” South said during her testimony.
South and her husband, Bo, traveled from Charlotte to Raleigh to advocate for the legislation during a May 13, 2026 press conference. South said her son had “a growing faith” and was the last person she would have thought would be in crisis.
Peer Support Training Program
The Teen Mental Health First Aid program, based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, teaches students in grades nine through 12 how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use among their friends. The evidence-based program has trained more than 7,500 youth and teens in 44 counties since 2023.
Rep. Brandon Lofton (D-Mecklenburg) said the additional funding would bring mental health training to 75 more high schools in North Carolina, reaching over 15,000 students.
Addressing Teen Depression Crisis
The legislation comes as North Carolina faces significant challenges with teen mental health, with one in four teens experiencing depression according to state data. Alicia Freeman with the UNC School of Social Work said the course teaches teens how to recognize possible warning signs and how to connect someone in distress with a trusted adult or someone trained in youth mental health.
Experts say teenagers are often more likely to open up to their friends than to adults, making peer-to-peer support an essential component in addressing mental health crises among young people.
The bill would expand the existing program’s reach significantly, potentially providing mental health awareness training to thousands more students across the state’s public high schools.
