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Classrooms or Clinics? 16 States vs. DOE in a $1 Billion Lawsuit on Top of $75 Billion in Mental Health Spending
The Department of Education (DOE) under President Trump decided that $1 billion in Biden-era federal grants to schools for increased mental health services conflicted with the President’s budgetary priorities and pulled the funding. Sixteen states took offense to losing the extra cash and filed a lawsuit to get the mental health money back. The question is why states are whining about $1 billion in mental health grants when so many are swimming in mental health money already budgeted through mandatory federal programs. How much money will the taxpayers be on the hook for mental health services? Seriously, when will mental health funding be enough? The fact is the extra $1 billion in mental health funding the states are fighting over is separate from the $58 billion in mental health funding appropriated through Medicaid, which also includes another $17 billion of substance abuse care. That’s 75 billion real federal tax dollars already being spent on mental health services in states. Taxpayers, through Medicaid, provide more than $8 billion annually for direct school-based mental health services, screenings and therapies. And children with mental health conditions account for 55% of all Medicaid spending for children aged 3-17. In other words, not only are taxpayers on the hook for mental health services covered by mandatory Medicaid funding but they also dish out $8 billion for direct school mental health interventions. Why? Why are schools becoming mental health detection and intervention clinics? Increased funding for mental health seems to be a never-ending, ever-increasing burden that taxpayers are forced to pay even though nobody is getting better. Look at the facts, every year the number of people being diagnosed with a mental illness increases as does the number on psychiatric drugs prescribed as “treatment.” Currently one in five American adults is being treated for at least one mental disorder. The same is true for one in five US children aged 3-17 (twenty million) have also been diagnosed with a mental disorder. And the kicker is that the mental health industry cannot prove that any mental disorder is an objective confirmable abnormality in the brain. That’s right. No abnormality that is being “treated.” Mental disorders are based on lists of alleged abnormal behaviors voted into existence by the very industry that gets paid to “treat” them. Most people would call that a conflict of a very dubious nature. And, further, the pharmaceutical companies who produce the drugs used as “treatment” for the made-up mental disorders haven’t got a clue how the drugs “work” in the brain as “treatment.” Regardless, the most recent data shows that in 2019, for example, nearly 44 million American adults – a little more than 17 percent of the adult population – reported expenditures for the treatment of mental disorders, medical spending to treat adults with mental disorders totaled more than $106 billion and the number of females with expenses for mental health treatment was almost double that of men. Go figure, there’s no abnormality that can be identified but everyone has a mental disorder that has to be “treated.” And given that there is no proof of an abnormality, the real problem is that the federal government, through taxpayer funds, is complicit in this mental health fraud by financially supporting the “treatment” of mental disorders that cannot be proven as an abnormality. Does the federal government pay, through Medicaid and Medicare, for cancer treatments that the doctor cannot prove the disease exists? Imagine how that would work for a moment. Can’t prove the disease (cancer) is in the body but we’ll pay to treat it. Clearly, it’s ridiculous. But now let’s consider the states that are doing a lot of the whining about not getting their portion of that extra $1 billion mental health funding. Washington, along with Illinois, and New York are all complainants in the $1 billion dollar lawsuit against the DOE. All three of these states claim sanctuary status – obstructing immigration enforcement – and spend tens of millions of dollars on medical care (including mental health) for low-income migrants. Nearly $175 million in Washington, more than $1 billion in Illinois and more than $2 billion in New York is spent on illegal immigrant health care services. These states, that clearly obstruct federal law in their protection of illegal aliens, have the unmitigated gall to sue the DOE for additional mental heath funding. But it gets worse. These same states have no problem suing the federal government for additional mental health funding for schools that simply are a failure when it comes to educating its population. For example, in Illinois, and specifically Chicago, enrollment in school has dropped by approximately 10% (200,000) students, more than 70 schools have been closed due to declining enrollment and one in five students is chronically absent from school. And as of 2024-2025 275 Chicago Public Schools were considered underutilized (below 70% of the school’s ideal capacity). And one “school,” Frederick Douglass Academy High School, enrolled just 27 students with 28 full-time staff. That’s right. More staff than students. In 2024, operational spending at Douglass exceeded $93,000 per student but still not a single 11th grade student was proficient in math or reading. More than 65% of Douglas’s students are chronically absent and fewer than one dozen is reported to show up with any regularity. But don’t fret. By anyone’s measure, this completely useless High School has at least two mental health staff members and three support staff, including a Restorative Justice Coordinator (whatever that is), Case Manager and a college and career coach. How many other schools in the Chicago area and other states that are just as useless will be sucking on the federal mental health teat? The very liberal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the states, stating that “the department failed to make a strong showing that it engaged in the reasoned decision-making required.” The Court of Appeals decision does not require the DOE to release any funds but, rather, asks that the federal agency provide the states with better explanations for withholding the grant money. AbleChild would guess that a simple answer of “first do a better job educating before attempting to dabble in mental health” wouldn’t be acceptable. But it would be an honest response. Better still, how about everyone agree that America’s school-age children should not be a playground for psychiatric experimentation. AbleChild is a 501(3) C nonprofit organization that has recently co-written landmark legislation in Tennessee, setting a national precedent for transparency and accountability in the intersection of mental health, pharmaceutical practices, and public safety. What you can do. Sign the Petition calling for federal hearings! Donate! Every dollar you give is a powerful statement, a resounding declaration that the struggles of these families will no longer be ignored. Your generosity today will echo through generations, ensuring that the rights and well-being of children are fiercely guarded. Don’t let another family navigate this journey alone. Donate now and join us in creating a world where every child’s mind is nurtured, respected, and given the opportunity to thrive. As a 501(c)3 organization, your donation to AbleChild is not only an investment in the well-being of vulnerable children but also a tax-deductible contribution to a cause that transcends individual lives. -
Theo Von Exposes America’s Reality: No Exit from Antidepressants, Government Must Respond
Photo Credit: Joe Rogan Experience During an interview with radio host, Joe Rogan, Theo Von talked about the difficulty he experienced while trying to withdraw from his long-term use of prescribed antidepressants. Von has nearly 5 million YouTube subscribers and almost 9 million Instagram followers. Despite the years of psychiatric drugging, Theo Von’s creativity cannot be ignored. Von is best known for his podcast, This Past Weekend, and has appeared in dozens of television/film projects, starting with MTV reality shows like Road Rules and The Challenge, along with stand-up specials. His interview is a perfect example of why legislation is needed to protect the population from the psychiatric and drug industry. “I want,” says Von, “to get off of antidepressants completely, man.” “I want to feel how I’m supposed to feel so I can have thoughts and actions that make me feel connected to the world.” “That stuff makes you feel dead, man.” “That’s one of my goals… I’m gonna start to take the power back of myself more.” @TheoVon Von fell into the drug trap because psychiatric diagnoses are completely subjective and anyone can be labeled mentally ill without any proof of an actual abnormality, no blood test, no X-ray, CAT Scan or urine tests to receive a diagnosis. In a landmark Georgia Exhibit, AbleChild educated lawmakers, caregivers, and the public on the ”The Psychotropic Transparency Act “with an Exit Plan as well as the gifted, creative child throughout the 1958 National Defense Act, and the pitfalls of the diagnosis itself. Federal and state lawmakers have allowed generations of adults and children to become addicted to psychiatric drugs without ever being provided an “exit plan,” a way to get off the drugs during the first prescribing session, making the behavioral health and the drug industry lifetime clients without accountability. At some point lawmakers must be forced to accept that the drugging of America has become a national security issue. The number of school shooters on cocktails of psychiatric drugs cannot be ignored. Nor can it be ignored that despite hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on mental health, every year the number of children being diagnosed and drugged increases, suggesting that no one is getting better. America should demand all children and adults like Theo Von be provided a safe path off mind-altering drugs and pass legislation requiring an Exit Plan with all psychiatric drug prescribing. Theo is just a voice out of millions looking for guidance to right a terrible psychiatric wrong. AbleChild is a 501(3) C nonprofit organization that has recently co-written landmark legislation in Tennessee, setting a national precedent for transparency and accountability in the intersection of mental health, pharmaceutical practices, and public safety. What you can do. Sign the Petition calling for federal hearings! Donate! Every dollar you give is a powerful statement, a resounding declaration that the struggles of these families will no longer be ignored. Your generosity today will echo through generations, ensuring that the rights and well-being of children are fiercely guarded. Don’t let another family navigate this journey alone. Donate now and join us in creating a world where every child’s mind is nurtured, respected, and given the opportunity to thrive. As a 501(c)3 organization, your donation to AbleChild is not only an investment in the well-being of vulnerable children but also a tax-deductible contribution to a cause that transcends individual lives. -
Connecticut Foster Child Missing from DCF Supervised Foster Home: Cake Adaline Bernstein
10‑year‑old Cake Adeline Bernstein is missing from a DCF‑supervised foster home in Hartford. She has been gone since March 20, 2026, and is currently listed as a missing child by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC Case #2081321).
If you see Cake or have any information, please call the Hartford Police Department at (860) 757‑4000 or NCMEC at 1‑800‑THE‑LOST (1‑800‑843‑5678) and reference Case #2081321.
Connecticut’s child‑welfare system has failed too many times. After the horrific death of Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres‑Garcia, who was never even reported missing despite DCF involvement, lawmakers vowed that no child in state care would ever be “lost” again.
Over 6,000 Connecticut citizens showed up to the Hartford Capitol after the Department of Children Families failed Jacqueline "Mimi" Torres-Garcia and blamed homeschoolers for their failure to keep track of Mimi.
It would benefit both the Department of Children and Families and Cake’s family to join forces and use every available resource to bring this child home. Be the Voice for the Voiceless AbleChild is a 501(3) C nonprofit organization that has recently co-written landmark legislation in Tennessee, setting a national precedent for transparency and accountability in the intersection of mental health, pharmaceutical practices, and public safety. What you can do. Sign the Petition calling for federal hearings! Donate! Every dollar you give is a powerful statement, a resounding declaration that the struggles of these families will no longer be ignored. Your generosity today will echo through generations, ensuring that the rights and well-being of children are fiercely guarded. Don’t let another family navigate this journey alone. Donate now and join us in creating a world where every child’s mind is nurtured, respected, and given the opportunity to thrive. As a 501(c)3 organization, your donation to AbleChild is not only an investment in the well-being of vulnerable children but also a tax-deductible contribution to a cause that transcends individual lives. -
Kirk Ballistics Meltdown Raises Important Questions About the Public’s Right to Know
In the last 24 hours there has been great weeping and gnashing of teeth because the Daily Mail had the audacity to run an article titled “Bullet used to kill Charlie Kirk did NOT match rifle allegedly used by suspect Tyler Robinson, new court filing claims.” The article explains that Robinson’s defense attorneys argue that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “was unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Robison.” The article also goes into some detail about there being more than one DNA contributor on evidence and that the defense has yet to receive forensic case files necessary for the alleged shooter’s defense. So, what’s the big deal that so many respected people and news outlets are having a conniption about the Daily Mail headline? Well, beyond obvious bias, one can conclude that if the recovered projectile cannot be matched to the alleged rifle, then the door to a jury finding reasonable doubt has been opened. But here’s the problem with all this whining about how the Daily Mail reported the information. First, the actual ATF ballistics report has not been made publicly available. Why? What’s the big secret? Secondly, the Daily Mail reporter apparently is quoting from the defense attorney’s court filing, where those attorneys have advised the court what was found in the ATF report and how it affects their case. Seems logical so far. But go onto any social media site and it’s all hell breaking lose. Not because the Daily Mail reporting is not accurate but, rather, everyone is upset with the way the ATF evidence has been explained. For example, Fox News reports the same day that “Experts debunk Tyler Robinson’s ballistics claim: ‘Unable to identify is not the same as ruled out.’” The Fox article explains that “…experts say inconclusive testing doesn’t mean the match has been ruled out, and investigators have compiled other evidence in the case…” But it also can be said the inconclusive testing doesn’t mean that there is a match. At some point the bias of news outlets gets silly and reduced to semantics. The information that was provided to the court is that Robinson’s “defense has been provided with an ATF summary report which indicates that the ATF was unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Mr. Robinson.” No more. No less. To a lay person, it certainly reads like the ATF could not match the bullet to the alleged rifle. But what is more importantly missed throughout all this whining is that it diverts attention away from the actual evidence. First, the public needs to see the actual ATF report. What was the chain of custody? Was it a complete “bullet” that was recovered and tested or were there bullet “fragments” tested? If it is bullet “fragments,” were all the fragments recovered from Kirk’s body and what is the weight of the fragments recovered? Does that weight equal a 30-06 bullet? The fact that the ATF and FBI often are unable to make complete bullet comparisons appears to be common in high profile cases. For example, according to the ballistics report on the 2012 Sandy Hook School shooting, “No positive identification could be made to any of the bullet evidence submissions noted above in the 5.56mm caliber” the weapon allegedly used by Adam Lanza. And the glock 10mm that was the alleged weapon Lanza used to kill himself… “no positive identification could be made.” (File 97) AbleChild is unaware of anyone in the mainstream media questioning why law enforcement was unable to match any bullets to any of the alleged weapons used in the tragedy of Sandy Hook, so it seems odd that there are literal meltdowns occurring over a seemingly benign headline about the bullets/weapons attached to the Charlie Kirk death. The same can be said of the assassination attempt in Butler PA. Although the FBI still refuses to release its investigation of the shooting at Butler, the House Committee investigating the shooting did release snippets of the ballistics conducted and came up with “a small copper-colored metal jacket fragment was recovered from the upper right back during the autopsy…the FBI has possession of the fragment.” And “all reviewable evidence collected from the AGR roof and from the subject’s body are consistent with the round fired by the Secret Service sniper.” How do you like that? “Consistent with.” There’s some specificity! So, it appears that law enforcement, at least in high profile cases, has a tough time with ballistics surety. What the public really needs is for law enforcement to make investigative materials public. Shine a light on this stuff. Without it, the public is left speculating and questioning the integrity of investigations. Not a good look for a nation that prides itself on transparency and the rule of law. Be the Voice for the Voiceless AbleChild is a 501(3) C nonprofit organization that has recently co-written landmark legislation in Tennessee, setting a national precedent for transparency and accountability in the intersection of mental health, pharmaceutical practices, and public safety. What you can do. Sign the Petition calling for federal hearings! Donate! Every dollar you give is a powerful statement, a resounding declaration that the struggles of these families will no longer be ignored. Your generosity today will echo through generations, ensuring that the rights and well-being of children are fiercely guarded. Don’t let another family navigate this journey alone. Donate now and join us in creating a world where every child’s mind is nurtured, respected, and given the opportunity to thrive. As a 501(c)3 organization, your donation to AbleChild is not only an investment in the well-being of vulnerable children but also a tax-deductible contribution to a cause that transcends individual lives. -
AbleChild Georgia Exhibit Highlights Arts Resolution for Better Mental Health on Eve of Passage
In a late‑night session under the Gold Dome, Georgia opened an exciting new chapter in behavioral and mental health by embracing the creative arts as a powerful tool to transform children’s lives and improve mental health outcomes. House Resolution 1007, sponsored by Representative Todd Jones, represents a clear win for children in Georgia by elevating art and creative expression as meaningful supports for their emotional well‑being.
House Resolution 1007 moved forward in a late‑night Georgia legislative session, underscoring the urgency lawmakers placed on elevating the creative arts as a resource for children’s mental health and overall well‑being. The measure affirms that structured creative arts programs, including art therapy, can offer children safe ways to process stress, trauma, and emotional challenges while building resilience.
A broad coalition of lawmakers, arts leaders, health advocates, and community organizations paved the way for HR 1007, including Rep. Todd Jones, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, Rep. Kim Schofield, Rep. Lydia Glaize, Rep. Katie Dempsey, and Rep. Angie O’Steen, alongside partners from Healing Arts Atlanta, BLKHLTH, the Carter Center, the Woodruff Arts Center (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art), South Arts, the emerging Arts + Health/NeuroArts network, and artist‑advocates who spoke at the Capitol.
AbleChild’s “Able and Gifted Child” exhibit arrived at exactly the right moment within this broad coalition effort, providing a vivid, visual testament to children’s creativity and potential as the resolution was taken over the finish line as a clear win for Georgia’s children.The resolution recognizes the power of supporting the creative arts to improve the lives of children and strengthen mental health outcomes across the State of Georgia. It encourages the development and expansion of art‑based programming in community settings, schools, and clinical environments to better serve children and families, signaling a shift away from a narrow, medication‑first approach toward more holistic, child‑centered supports.
AbleChild local members presented its “Able and Gifted Child” exhibit inside the Georgia State Capitol, highlighting children’s creativity and potential when they are supported through non‑pharmaceutical approaches like art, rather than being quickly labeled or medicated. The exhibit’s timing during the HR 1007 helped crystallize, for lawmakers working late into the night, why creative, non‑drug‑based supports belong at the center of policy for children’s behavioral and mental health.
Advocates from parent organizations, arts institutions, and mental health groups frame HR 1007 as a forward‑looking step that centers children’s humanity, creativity, and long‑term well‑being. With the resolution advancing, children in Georgia stand to benefit from policies that recognize their creativity as a strength and their art as a path to healing, offering a model other states can look to as they rethink how to support young people’s behavioral and mental health.
Be the Voice for the Voiceless AbleChild is a 501(3) C nonprofit organization that has recently co-written landmark legislation in Tennessee, setting a national precedent for transparency and accountability in the intersection of mental health, pharmaceutical practices, and public safety. What you can do. Sign the Petition calling for federal hearings! Donate! Every dollar you give is a powerful statement, a resounding declaration that the struggles of these families will no longer be ignored. Your generosity today will echo through generations, ensuring that the rights and well-being of children are fiercely guarded. Don’t let another family navigate this journey alone. Donate now and join us in creating a world where every child’s mind is nurtured, respected, and given the opportunity to thrive. As a 501(c)3 organization, your donation to AbleChild is not only an investment in the well-being of vulnerable children but also a tax-deductible contribution to a cause that transcends individual lives.
The Beginning
Founded in 2001 by parents who had their own personal experiences with label and drug coercion by the education system, Ablechild has a personal commitment to inform, support, and unite others faced with all aspects involving labeling and drugging children. Ablechild has a full understanding of what a parent/caregiver goes through when dealing with school systems recommending, and many times pressuring a parent for mental health evaluations. We recognize that schools will many times force-feed mental health approaches on parents, while steering clear of science-based education resources and solutions.
We Need You
AbleChild is nothing without our supporters. Our organization is non-profit and we rely on support from our community to keep our services alive. Join us our on our journey to inform the world by donating financially, sharing our information, or following us on social media. Thanks to everyone who makes this possible!
Informed Consent
Knowing that informed consent is a must and a critical component in making an educated decision, Ablechild and many of its individual members have worked diligently since 2001 to provide the public with extensive information at Federal, State, and Local Governmental hearings, at educational conferences, events, Governmental meetings, and throughout national and local media circuits. We have directly advocated and worked on creating laws that would strengthen “Informed Consent” and guarantee a person’s “Right to Refuse” psychological testing and services via the education system.
Many members of this organization have advocated directly for state and federal legislation outlawing school personnel from recommending psychotropic drugs for children within schools across the nation. We can proudly say that our organization and the united efforts of its members were instrumental in the lobbying and passing of the Federal law entitled “Prohibition on Mandatory Medication Act”. This law is now part of the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) and stands as the first of its kind, outlawing forced child drugging on a federal level.