Jerry's Law intended to help teens with mental illness

[hrmjustin]

Claire Hughes

A bill awaiting Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature places a requirement on school officials that seems simple enough: Parents must be notified of their right to have their children evaluated for special education services.

For the Clark family, the bill is a small step toward a very big deal indeed: creating a cultural shift in the schools toward helping teens cope with mental illness, rather than disciplining them for what looks like bad behavior.

In their own home, they call it "Jerry's Law."

"I see this as a long journey, and this is just a step in that journey," Jerry Clark III said.

http://m.timesunion.com/local/article/Jerry-s-Law-intended-to-help-teens-with-mental-5603291.php