Councilor Murphy Delivers Maiden Speech

While offering an order for a hearing to address the youth mental health crisis in our City, she shared that she has been a mother for 32 teachers, a teacher in Boston Public Schools for over 20 years, and is very familiar with the struggles many families in Boston deal with, such as educational challenges, economic setbacks, and substance use disorder.



“I knew early on in my educational career that I would be doing a whole lot more than just teaching kids how to read and write. I struggled making sure I was addressing the mental health of my students and finding the right balance between academics and their social and emotional needs. The courses I took in college to be a teacher did not prepare me for this,” said Councilor Murphy.



She spoke to the impact the pandemic has had on the mental health of students and how it has only intensified concerns that existed before. “We need to address this mental health crisis by not only prioritizing support in Boston Public Schools […], but in community centers, faith based organizations, after school programs, athletic programs, senior centers and health care centers.”



As the Chair of the Committee on Public Health, Homelessness, and Recovery, Councilor Murphy’s hearing order will discuss progress towards ensuring that every child has access to high-quality, affordable, and culturally competent mental health care, ways to sustain funding for effective school-based mental health care, address the economic and social barriers that contribute to the lack of mental health for our young people, and much more.



Listen to Councilor Murphy’s maiden speech.