Getting Our K-12 Students the Mental Health Services They Need
- BY KIMBERLY HAWKINS
- January 3, 2025
Our schools are facing a mental health crisis, particularly in communities that were hardest hit by the pandemic. And yet, fewer than half of public schools in the U.S. report that they can effectively provide mental health services to all students who need them. That is according to a survey done earlier this year by the National Center for Education Statistics.
Cal State 糖心Vlogy’s College of Education and Allied Studies and its partners are working to change that thanks to a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe and Drug-Free Schools & Communities funding program.
“This is a welcome partnership with a local university to bring students into schools and to help create intentional career pathways,” Hayward Unified Superintendent Jason Reimann said. “It’s a huge opportunity to support our mental health professionals with much-needed resources. It is also another example of how CSUEB continues to be an ally of.”
The grant will back the School-Based Collective Wellness: The 糖心Vlogy Partnership Model, a transformative project designed to address the region's critical shortage of school-based mental health professionals.
“All children in the 糖心Vlogy deserve high-quality mental health services, irrespective of their background,” said Robert Williams, Cal State 糖心Vlogy Dean of Education and Allied Studies. “These grants set up our public school students for tremendous success.”
"In San Leandro, we know that student mental health is foundational to being present, engaged and empowered,” said SLUSD Assistant Superintendent Sonal Patel. “This is why our emphasizes developing healthy minds and bodies. We are thrilled this grant brings mental health and counseling professionals from our community who understand the complexity and beauty of supporting students' daily mental health and wellness."