Biden-Harris Administration Announces $70 Million in New Awards for School-Based Mental Health Services
The Biden-Harris Administration today is announcing an additional investment of $70 million to expand student access to school-based mental health services across the nation. These grants support the President’s Unity Agenda for the nation and build on the historic levels of funding to address youth mental health provided under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership through the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). These efforts continue to bolster the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) and Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration (MHSP) grant programs at a time of increased need.
The Department has worked closely with federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as colleges and universities, to build the education system’s capacity to provide mental health services in school. Today’s announcement advances the goal set out by President Biden to double the number of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other school-based mental health professionals.
“We know that students are more likely to access mental health support if it’s offered in schools, and our educators and school communities are on the front lines when a student is struggling. I’m proud that the Biden-Harris Administration has made historic strides in tackling our youth mental health crisis, raising the bar for our nation’s students with the largest-ever expansion of K-12 mental health programs,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The need for mental health support in our schools remains high. Today’s announcement of an additional $70 million will allow more institutions and schools to train and hire mental health professionals—especially in underserved communities—ensuring that every student has access to the care they need to thrive.”
Secretary Cardona will visit Five Forks Middle School in Gwinnett County, Georgia to announce 69 new SBMH and MHSP grants across the country. These new awards are projected to help train and hire an additional 4,000 mental health professionals nationally to support students and address their mental health needs. Gwinnett County, Georgia is a recipient of both MHSP and SBMH awards and will receive $19 million over the next five years. The district plans to use its awards to collaborate with five universities (Albany State, Clark Atlanta, Fort Valley State, Georgia State, and University of Georgia) to train and hire 125 additional diverse mental health professionals by offering recruitment and retention bonuses and expanding professional development opportunities.
The $70 million investment in FY 2024 funds builds on the $571 million in awards already made for the MHSP and SBMH programs through Department appropriations and the largest-ever expansion of K-12 mental health programs through BSCA—which provides $1 billion over five years for these programs. Today’s awards, combined with the BSCA investments, will support 333 grantees across 48 states to strengthen the pipeline and increase the diversity of school-based mental health professionals. The Biden-Harris Administration’s total investments in the MHSP and SBMH programs are projected to add 18,000 school-based mental health professionals to the workforce. These funds are being utilized to boost pre-service preparation for prospective mental health professionals to serve in schools, alleviate cost barriers for attendance, expand professional development opportunities, recruit and train mental health professionals from diverse backgrounds, and provide stipends for interns gaining clinical experience in high-need schools.
The Biden-Harris Administration has continued to emphasize the need for continued and increased federal investments in the mental health and well-being of every student. Moving forward, the Department will continue to pursue this mission by making pathways into mental health professions more accessible, increasing the number and diversity of school-based professionals, expanding full-service community schools, enhancing partnerships with community organizations for mental health support and violence intervention, and reducing the stigma around seeking help.
Read the full press release on the Department’s website.
Tags: equity, federal issues, funding
