Gov. Gavin Newsom last week applauded the launch of a federal initiative that aims to achieve universal access to mental health and substance use support for all children and youth.
This week, the U.S. Department of Education began the process to disburse the nearly $300 million Congress appropriated in fiscal year 2022 through both the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the FY22 Omnibus to help schools hire more school-based mental health professionals and build a strong pipeline into the profession for the upcoming school year.
In total, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act will invest $1 billion over the next five years in mental health support in our schools, making progress towards the federal government’s goal to double the number of school counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals.
“As some states cut mental health funding, the President is stepping up to get our kids the support they need,” Newsom said in a statement. “This announcement builds on California’s $4.7 billion Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, an unprecedented all-of-the-above approach to address this crisis – hiring more counselors and behavioral health specialists while also expanding access to services and facilities throughout the state.”
The California Master Plan will create a pipeline to hire or train upwards of 40,000 behavioral health specialists and school counselors to serve California’s youth, on top of new brick-and-mortar facilities and digital platforms to expand access to critical services for mental health issues, which were exacerbated by the pandemic.■