Sonoma County in California, in partnership with the county's office of education, has committed to put $250,000 toward students' mental health, the Sonoma County Gazette reported April 20.
The funding comes from the county's "Measure O" tax measure, a quarter-cent sales tax voters approved in 2020 to support mental health and homelessness initiatives that currently equates to $2.4 million.
The allocation will provide schools direct access to county behavioral health staff to expedite referrals, create four mental health teams strategically located around the county to provide consultation service by phone for school districts not in those service areas, offer training for school staff in identifying students who may be experiencing behavioral health symptoms, consultation with schools regarding students experiencing urgent behavioral health issues, reinstitute in-person response to students experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and link individuals to substance use disorder treatment services for youth.
Additional funding is pending for future budgetary processes.
Sonoma County schools currently rank in the bottom 25 percent of California schools in emotional and mental health, according to 2023 YouthTruth survey results.