By Selena Simmons-Duffin and Rhitu Chatterjee, National Public Radio, August 27, 2021
As students head back into another pandemic school year, the Biden administration has announced nearly $85 million in funding for mental health awareness, training, and treatment.
The funding includes $10.7 million in American Rescue Plan funds from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program, which trains primary care providers to treat and refer kids for mental health issues. Another $74.2 million in grants is being distributed from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to raise awareness about youth mental health issues and train school personnel and programs that coordinate treatment for young people with emotional disorders.
"We know what's coming," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said while announcing the funding at Children's Hospital New Orleans on Friday. "The wave of stress, the mental strain, the disorientation and disassociation that so many of our children are feeling today ā they're going to need help, and not just from their parents and their loved ones, they're going to need help from us all."
Comments (0)