School Mental Health Screenings and the Valor of Medal of Honor Recipients

On the eve of Medal of Honor Day, Kim Monson examines legislation that could allow 12-year-olds to access mental health services without parental consent, while celebrating the extraordinary courage of America’s most decorated heroes. Lori Gimelshteyn of the Colorado Parents Advocacy Network and Medal of Honor recipient Drew Dix join the broadcast to discuss parental rights and the values that define American heroism.

Medal of Honor Day and American Values

Start listening at 71:48 – Hour 2

With Medal of Honor Day being observed on March 25th, Drew Dix, Medal of Honor recipient and co-founder of the Center for American Values in Pueblo, Colorado, joins Kim to discuss the importance of honoring those who have made extraordinary sacrifices for America. Dix received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam in January 1968, where with a small force of about 20 men, he fought for 56 hours of steady combat to rescue American civilians and retake a provincial capital from two enemy battalions.

The Center for American Values, which Dix co-founded 13 years ago with Brad Padula, focuses on educating young people about sacrifice, honor, integrity, and patriotism. Dix explains that Medal of Honor recipients are not “winners” but “recipients” because the honor is awarded for saving others, not for competition. He shares that he has known over 400 Medal of Honor recipients since receiving his medal, and the common thread among them is their willingness to make sacrifices for each other and their country.

Dix recounts the harrowing story of his Medal of Honor action, where during a supposed ceasefire, enemy forces infiltrated the provincial capital. With just a handful of men, he fought to rescue a civilian nurse named Maggie and other American civilians while the vastly outnumbered force systematically eliminated enemy positions. His optimistic outlook, captured in his quote “Nothing is as bad as you think it might be,” reflects his belief that understanding the real facts of any situation allows you to make a difference.

“You don’t receive a Medal of Honor for heroics on a battlefield per se. It’s for saving others. That’s the only reason you can receive a Medal of Honor, for saving your life for others.”

Drew Dix, Medal of Honor Recipient

School Mental Health Screenings and Parental Rights

Start listening at 37:00 – Hour 1

In this segment, Lori Gimelshteyn, co-founder of the Colorado Parents Advocacy Network, joins Kim to discuss House Bill 23-1003. This legislation would give the government power to make mental health decisions for children beginning at age 12 without parental consent. The bill requires public schools to send notices home about mental health assessments, but allows children aged 12 and up to opt themselves back into the program even if their parents have opted them out.

Gimelshteyn, a clinical diagnostician and speech-language pathologist, expresses deep concern about the exclusion of parents from the mental health process. She emphasizes that mental health treatment is most successful when families are involved, and warns that the current approach is encouraging children to distrust their parents. The Colorado Parents Advocacy Network is mobilizing citizens to contact state senators before the bill’s committee hearing on April 6th.

The fiscal note for the program shows $17 million in taxpayer funding for just the 2024-25 school year. Gimelshteyn questions why schools that are failing to educate children in basic academics are now being tasked with mental health screening, noting that more than half of Colorado students are not at grade level for English, language arts, and math.

“I can promise you the government will never love my child the way that I love my child.”

Lori Gimelshteyn, Co-founder, Colorado Parents Advocacy Network