The University of South Florida in Tampa has received $8 million from the U.S. Department of Education to improve school-based mental health programs.
Twenty-one graduate students in the school's psychology program will spend the next five years working in local K-12 schools to identify students in need of support and provide services based on their situations as part of Project Targeted and Intensive Emotional and Relational Support, according to a May 2 news release.
Project Mental Health Applied Behavior Analysis Social Work will involve 40 graduate students of diverse backgrounds enrolled in the applied behavior analysis or social work programs to diversify the school-based mental health services workforce.
Students in both programs will receive tuition support and a stipend.
"Florida is three times above the recommended ratio for school psychologists and has just one psychologist per 1,856 students," Stacy-Ann January, PhD, associate professor at USF, said in the release. "Impoverished communities tend to have less access to mental health providers, which has been exacerbated in the last few years due to the COVID pandemic. This project can be a great resource to these communities."