School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program

Lincoln Public Schools wants every elementary school to have a dedicated full-time counselor (Getty Images)

(KFOR NEWS October 26m 2022) The U.S. Department of Education is requesting applications for the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of credentialed mental health services staff providing school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies with demonstrated need. Credentialed mental health service providers can include school social workers, school counselors, or school psychologists, as well as, community-based mental health partners.

Currently, only 30 of the 40 LPS elementary schools have full-time counselors. Lincoln Public Schools is developing a proposal in response to this opportunity that will focus on ensuring that every LPS elementary school has a dedicated full-time counselor. Grant funds will initially be used to hire seven new school counselors to work in elementary schools without access to such a position currently. As federal ESSER funding for COVID-19 relief ends in 2024, this grant funding will also extend the employment of nine existing counselor positions in elementary schools for an additional three school years.

School counselors in elementary schools are critical to the development of a schoolwide culture that is both safe, caring and encourages academic excellence. Elementary school counselors lead in the implementation of social-emotional skill development of our youngest students, allowing them to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, feel and show empathy for others, and make responsible and caring decisions.

The Board waived second reading and voted to approve the application because of the grant deadline.