ALBANY, N.Y. (WCAX) – New York is putting student mental health on the lesson plan thanks to funding outlined in the governor’s budget.
According to the CDC, nearly one in four teenagers have considered suicide, and it’s one in three for teenage girls– a large increase from only a decade ago.
Now, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is focusing on expanding mental health support for kids. That includes work on the state level to regulate social media and newly announced funding for school-based mental health clinics.
“If you provide those services right here in a nurturing school setting with professionals and adults who care about them and teachers who are trained to see the signs and students who are trained to see the signs, that’s how you build an ecosystem of healthy young people,” said Hochul, D-New York.
Hochul says school districts can apply for some of the $20 million set aside for the program. She also set aside $15 million to help incentivize more providers to work with patients on Medicaid.