Officials announce $96 million in grants to continue supporting student mental health
Woodlawn High School Principal Jamel Jerigan said that in addition to the usual stresses of high school life, students in her Baltimore County school face mental health needs that impact their learning.
That's why renewed funding for a state consortium that helps boost connections between schools and mental health resources is so welcome, she said during an outside the State House Wednesday.
'We serve a vibrant, resilient and diverse student community,' Jernigan said at the event on Lawyers' Mall. 'But like so many schools across the state, we've seen firsthand how mental health crises continue to impact our students.'
The Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports will award a total of $96 million in grants this year to 107 programs to help combat increasing anxiety, depression and other challenges students are facing today. The consortium grew out of the state's education reform plan, the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, to improve student mental and behavioral health by providing greater access to wraparound services.
The $96 million in grants funding will help support programs and organizations provide more targeted services attuned to the needs of students in each county, reaching 80% of Maryland schools, officials say. The grant awards vary by program, ranging from $71,000 to just over $3.5 million.
For Woodlawn High School, the consortium helped expand access to school-based mental health providers, connected families with community services and created spaces where 'students can feel seen, heard, supported and empowered,' Jernigan said.
'That has made all the difference – from increasing graduation rates, attendance and engagement to boosting healthier relationships and improved outcomes, both inside and outside the classroom,' she said Wednesday.
'We must recognize that today, our youth are facing unprecedented challenges,' said Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), on hand with other state leaders at the event to announce the second round of grants for the program.
'We want them to be successful. But what we know is … if their mental health is not strong, noting else matters,' Ferguson said. 'They cannot be successful if they don't believe in themselves to recognize their own God-given potential.'
House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County), added that while students have long struggled with mental health, the COVID-19 pandemic brought those issues to the forefront, along with political unrest and social media.
'We continue to be particularly concerned about the alarming increase in anxiety, depression, self-harm and other kinds of mental illness impacting our students,' Jones said.
Mary Gable, assistant state superintendent in the Maryland State Department of Education's Division of Student Support and Federal Programs, said the 107 programs cover a wide range of topics, including 'screenings, counseling, addiction treatment, family support, crisis planning and services, telehealth services, support groups and wraparound services.'
The consortium was almost a victim of steep budget cuts as the General Assembly worked this year to balance a state budget with a $3 billion deficit.
Funded at $130 million in Gov. Wes Moore's (D) budget, the consortium funding was cut to $40 million by the House. The Senate held out for $70 million this year and $100 million a year thereafter, which was approved in the final budget.
During budget talks this year, advocates and consortium partners warned that pulling funding for the consortium would greatly diminish the reach of the mental health network.
David Rudolph, chair of the consortium and a former delegate from Cecil County, expects that the General Assembly will continue to fund the consortium as much as possible in upcoming years.
'The commitment is there,' he said.
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