California launches $50 million program for school‐based MH care

Abstract

The California State Legislature is calling on local school districts to come up with new ways to fill big gaps in mental health care for children and teens, setting aside $50 million this year for schools willing to try new ways of detecting and preventing mental illness through campus‐based services, the Mountain View Voice reported Aug. 2. The Mental Health Student Services Act, established through budget legislation this year, launches a grant program where county behavioral health departments — largely responsible for publicly funded mental health care — can partner with local schools to create campus‐based mental health services. The goal is to reach students before mental illness becomes severe and disabling, preventing suicide, dropouts, homelessness and suffering. The act builds on a common trend among California lawmakers, who have sought over the last three years to migrate the role of mental health care from the clinic to the classroom. Santa Clara County Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan said she is prepared to pursue the funding. When asked whether the added responsibility of providing mental health care could become a burden on public schools, Dewan said she believes schools can balance mental and behavioral services on top of academics — so long as they receive adequate funding and trained, qualified staff.