SAINT PAUL, Minn. (KELO.com) — Gov. Tim Walz is proposing $6 million in one-time spending for school mental health grants, aimed at expanding care for children affected by COVID-19.
The Department of Human Services says that Minnesota children’s mental health needs have increased since the start of the pandemic, echoing reports from around the county. The grants could help more than 8,000 students in 1,100 schools across Minnesota and increase the availability of “culturally and linguistically diverse services and providers.”
Since 2007, the mental health grants connect students and schools with local mental health services. They aim to help children with severe needs who have never had access. Untreated conditions can have debilitating effects on educational success and learning. More than 20,000 students benefited from the program in 2019.
In 2018, 57 mental health providers were awarded $33 million over three years to initiate access to care in more than half of Minnesota K-12 schools.
In the current proposal, nearly $5 million is allocated to student care and $1 million to support school staff. The Minnesota Department of Education will work with DHS to help connect teachers and staff with care.
In addition to in-school services, the grants will cover family therapy, family education, and greater support for people of color.
(Gracie Stockton with the Minnesota Reformer contributed this report. It first appeared here in the MR.)
