# Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2021

This bill creates a federal funding program to bring mental health services directly into schools across the country. The government would provide grants of up to $2 million to partnerships between school districts and mental health organizations to set up comprehensive mental health programs in schools. The goal is to help students deal with trauma, grief, suicidal thoughts, and violence—issues that many young people face but often don't get help for because mental health services aren't available in their schools.

The programs funded by this bill would focus on identifying students who need help, training school staff to recognize warning signs, and providing actual treatment and support services. These services would be designed to be culturally appropriate and trauma-informed, meaning they'd account for the fact that many students have experienced difficult or harmful events. The programs would also involve families and connect schools with local mental health providers, hospitals, law enforcement, and other community resources. Schools would need to create ways for students to report violence or threats, and they'd have to follow privacy laws to protect student information.

The bill would distribute grants fairly across different regions and between urban and rural areas, with each grant lasting five years and potentially renewable. Schools and mental health providers would have to track whether the programs are actually working by collecting data on student outcomes and reporting back to the federal government. The bill authorizes $200 million per year from 2022 through 2025 to fund these school-based mental health programs, which would help schools that currently lack the resources to provide mental health support to their students.

Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2021

Napolitano, Grace F.

Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2021 This bill provides specific statutory authority for the Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) State Educational Agency Grant Program that is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The program supports school-based mental health services, including screening, treatment, and outreach programs.