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Public Advocate discusses mental health services and funding in schools
0:11:28
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45 sec
Public Advocate Williams emphasizes the importance of mental health services in schools and highlights the current shortcomings in staffing and funding. He calls for increased investment in school-based mental health services and programs.
- An audit found that many public schools are understaffed with mental health professionals or lack adequately trained staff
- School-based mental health clinics rely heavily on insufficient Medicaid funding
- Williams calls for an investment and baseline of at least $3,750,000 to cover the gap in mental health services
- He also advocates for the renewal of $5 million for the mental health continuum program in the fiscal year 2026 budget
Jumaane Williams
0:11:28
Public schools are the main youth mental health system in our city and an audit published last year by the state controller found that too many public schools are understaffed with mental health professionals or not adequately trained staff and only a few have seriously readily have services readily available.
0:11:44
School based mental health clinics provide a range of an on-site mental health services to insufficient sorry, to students during the school day and most of their current funding comes from Medicaid which is insufficient to cover the range of supports and services that students and schools need.
0:11:58
To cover this gap, the city should invest and baseline at least $3,750,000.
0:12:04
Additionally, mental health continuum, a cross agency partnership to serve students with the greatest mental health needs requires a renewal of $5,000,000 in the fiscal year twenty six budget.