by klignell
On December 27th, Governor Snyder signed Senate Bill 149 (H-1), which funds over $30 million for school mental health support services in schools. The bill caps off a successful year for mental health and education advocates, who are now commending the addition of crucial resources to help children in need residing in underserved schools.
Senator Goeff Hansen and Senator Peter MacGregor were co-sponsors of the bill, which included $5 million to hire additional licensed mental health care providers in School-Based Health Centers (referred to as child and adolescent health centers in the state budget). These providers would be placed in communities that currently have no access to mental health services. In addition, Senate Bill 149 included $16.5 to intermediate school districts to work with their local school districts to provide mental health services.
“This funding will help us reach students who currently do not have access to crucial mental health services in their communities,” said Debra Brinson, Interim Executive Director of the School-Community Health Alliance of Michigan, “We are excited to celebrate 2019 with this news. We know that mental health is a key to our kids’ safety and well-being.”
“We appreciate Senator Hansen’s forward-thinking which will leave a lasting impact on the well-being of students across the state,” said SCHA-MI Board President and Superintendent of Oakridge Public Schools Tom Livezey, “He has long recognized the healthy children are better learners.”
