During Mental Health Awareness Month, U. S. Department of Education Announces New Actions to Increase Access to School-Based Mental Health Services

Today, during Mental Health Awareness Month, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to increase access to school-based mental health services, including: (1) nearly doubling investments in the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) and Mental Health Service Professionals (MHSP) grant programs in the current Fiscal Year; (2) making additional investments through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) to improve the mental health and wellbeing of students and educators; and (3) offering new mental health and wellbeing trainings and resources for schools and educators.

“Today’s announcements affirm the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to tackling our youth mental health crisis,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “We know students are more likely to access mental health support if it’s offered in schools. By nearly doubling funds this year for school-based mental health professionals, releasing additional funds to help advance a variety of mental health strategies, and providing additional training and resources, we are raising the bar for student wellbeing across the country.”

Our nation’s schools serve as a critical access point to mental health services that could otherwise be out of reach for students. Students are six times more likely to receive mental health services when they are delivered at school. That is because schools are often best positioned to provide access and reach large numbers of students through education, prevention, services, and early intervention efforts, and can help to reduce stigmatization that might be associated with seeking services. Improving youth mental health is a key component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to improving student wellbeing and outcomes: when young people have access to the mental health care that they need and deserve, they’re more likely to learn, develop, and achieve, and to build important connections with peers and caring adults.

Thanks to President Biden’s work to pass and sign the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and BSCA, and as a core component of the President’s Unity Agenda, students have increased access to vital services and are more likely to have a counselor, social worker, or nurse at their school than when the President took office. The Department has worked closely with federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as colleges and universities, to build K-12 school-based capacity to provide mental health services and work toward accomplishing the goal set out by the President to double the number of school counselors, social workers, and other school-based mental health professionals. Additionally, Biden-Harris Administration investments have opened the door for colleges and universities to train more school-based mental health professionals who can work with students and increase the diversity of the profession; for schools to hire and retain mental health professionals and provide school-based services; and for schools to access additional funding through the Medicaid program to support school health services, including mental health services.

Today, we are announcing three additional actions that build on this Administration’s efforts to make mental health services more available and accessible to children and youth. Today’s actions include:

1. Nearly doubling the amount of funding available in the current Fiscal Year for the School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) and the Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) grant programs—and giving states, school districts, and institutions of higher education additional time to apply.

Earlier this year, the Department released Notices Inviting Applications (NIAs) for the SBMH and MHSP programs totaling a $38 million investment across both programs. Following the passage of the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, the Department will now allocate an additional $32 million toward these two critical programs – bringing the new total funding available to states, local educational agencies, and institutions of higher education for school-based mental health efforts up to $70 million.

In addition to increasing available funding, the Department has extended the application windows for both programs until May 31, 2024, so they remain open throughout the entirety of Mental Health Awareness Month. This $70 million investment in FY 2024 builds on the $571 million in awards already made in these programs through Department appropriations and the largest-ever expansion of K-12 mental health programs through BSCA. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has made awards to 264 grantees across 48 states and territories to strengthen the pipeline and increase the number and diversity of school-based mental health professionals—with funding projected to help train and hire an additional 14,000 mental health professionals to support students and address their mental health needs. NIAs, which outline requirements to apply, have been posted to the Federal Register. Applications for SBMH and MHSP are due on May 31, 2024.

2. Releasing additional BSCA funding to improve the mental health and wellbeing of students and educators.

BSCA provided $1 billion for states to invest in improving school climate and safety and supporting student mental health and well-being in underserved schools through the Stronger Connections Grant program. This funding is making schools safer and more welcoming for students using a variety of strategies, including school-based mental health services, as well as safety and community violence prevention and intervention programs. BSCA also contained a 2% set-aside for technical assistance and capacity building for states to help administer and advance the objectives of the Stronger Connections Grant program. In the coming weeks, the Department will release a notice for states to apply for this remaining BSCA funding which can be used to strengthen mental health, such as efforts to improve mental health for our youngest learners and for educators. This funding will help states and schools better leverage their existing Stronger Connections Grant investment to have more impact for more students.

3. Providing additional trainings and resources for youth mental health through Departments of Education and Health and Human Services Technical Assistance Centers.

Throughout Mental Health Awareness Month, the Department's technical assistance centers are sharing resources and information to support state and local mental health efforts. Each week will be dedicated to sharing resources on a different topic: (1) Educator mental health and wellbeing, timed with Teacher Appreciation Week; (2) the Department’s Free to Learn initiative to prevent violence, hate, and harassment; (3) Mental health and Medicaid resources for schools; and (4) Creating safe and healthy learning environments. More information about upcoming events on mental health can be found on the Department’s Best Practices Clearinghouse calendar; and additional resources, including toolkits and reports from the Department's technical assistance centers, can be found in the resource library. In addition to these resources, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a new communications toolkit and is carrying out an array of technical assistance offerings throughout the month of May. The toolkit features resources on how to support children and youth with developing self-care strategies and skills for managing life stressors in healthy ways. The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services will continue to work together to increase access to critical health care services, especially mental health services, for millions of students across the nation.

President Biden named tackling the mental health crisis a key pillar in his Unity Agenda for the nation because its an issue that we can all come together to advance. And, since day one of his Administration, President Biden has been clear that we must invest in the mental health and wellbeing of every student. The Department will continue to advance this mission by making the pathway into mental health professions more accessible; increasing the number and diversity of school-based mental health professionals; expanding the number of full-service community schools, increasing partnerships with community-based organizations to provide school-based mental health supports and community violence interventions, and reducing the stigmatization and shame that young people often associate with seeking help.