Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Mental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
McDowell County Schools wins roughly $6.8 million federal grant to expand school-based mental health services
Summary
The district received a U.S. Department of Education school-based mental health grant of about $6.8 million to hire credentialed clinicians, expand training and provide recruitment and retention incentives over five years.
McDowell County Schools announced Tuesday that it has received a U.S. Department of Education school-based mental health grant of approximately $6,800,000 to expand access to credentialed mental health services across the district's 15 schools.
The grant, titled “Health HEAL” (Helping Everyone Achieve in Life), will fund direct hires and credentialing supports over five years, the district said. It will pay for a licensed professional counselor as project director, an LPC clinical supervisor, four social workers, one school psychologist, signing and retention bonuses, relocation and paid internship support, and paid supervision hours to help staff maintain specialty credentials.
"We received approximately $6,800,000," the board was told during the presentation. Ashley McArthur, student services director, described the grant’s emphasis on recruitment and retention and said that the district must hire the clinicians directly under the grant terms. "Under this grant, we cannot contract. These would be direct hires," McArthur said.
McArthur said the funds also will support a “grow your own” initiative to credential existing staff, including paying for clinical supervision hours and tailored professional development. She said the district plans partnerships with McDowell Technical Community College and Appalachian State University to help with credentialing and internships.
Officials listed expected outcomes including improved student attendance, fewer out-of-school suspensions, increased access to mental health services, and higher provider certification and retention rates. The district noted current staffing included only one credentialed school-based mental health provider prior to the grant.
Board members and staff framed the award as a response to a countywide need for mental health services for students. The board expressed appreciation for staff work on the application and support for using the funds to place additional clinicians in schools.
The district indicated implementation will begin immediately in January 2025 and continue through the five-year grant period, with hiring and credentialing activities phased across that timeframe.
Ending: The board did not take a formal vote on accepting the grant during the presentation; presenters said implementation steps and hiring would follow grant requirements and standard district personnel processes.
