As students return to school this fall, mental health resources may look different, with some school districts preparing to lay off behavioral health providers. About $1 billion in school-based mental health grants were cancelled by the federal government mid-cycle, and now schools are scrambling to respond, according to a Sept. 4 report from the Milwaukee Independent.
The grants, created under a 2022 federal law during the Biden administration to address gun violence and youth mental health, have funded psychologists, counselors and social workers in schools across the country. But in April, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would rescind the awards, citing violations of “merit, fairness and excellence in education” and stating that grantees no longer aligned with the current administration’s policy priorities.
The move has jeopardized entire mental health programs in some areas. In Eureka, California, a nearly $3 million grant has funded all five of the school district’s social workers and supported nine interns, according to a Sept. 24 report from EdSource. “The services provided there may not [stay],” Sarahdee Duncan, wellness center coordinator at Eureka City Schools, said. This could mean a return to six-month waitlists and increased barriers — such as paperwork, insurance or transportation — for families and children seeking help.
In New York’s Finger Lakes region, 176 graduate students completed school mental health training with 85% going on to work in shortage areas through a program now at risk. Hennessey Lustica, project director for the Wellness Workforce Collaborative, said the cancellation affects 21 districts and more than 20,000 students. “Cutting this funding is just going to devastate kids,” she said.
Wisconsin will lose an $8 million award used to expand retention and career pathways. In Alabama, Birmingham City Schools was informed it would not receive the remainder of a $15 million grant. And in Minnesota, Rochester Public Schools will lose $1.9 million reserved for tuition assistance to train diverse social work candidates.
Some districts are attempting to preserve partial services through state Medi-Cal reimbursement or temporary funds, but many face a staffing cliff. In Northern California, Del Norte Unified’s ratio has improved from 577 students per counselor to nearly the national standards before cuts.
