‘They're not going to be academically successful': Trump Administration cancels $1 billion mental health funding for schools
Following this announcement, State Attorney General Letitia James announced a lawsuit against the administration, calling recent actions dangerous, cruel and illegal.
'We are asking the court to halt the unlawful dismantling of HHS, mass firings, and to restore the lifesaving programs that millions of Americans depend on,' James said.
'Those cuts are going to compromise a health and human service care system that is already struggling to provide adequate resources for those in individuals in need,' said Dave Roberts, an Adjunct Professor of Psychology Child-Life at Utica University.
Roberts says the cuts will play a role in a child's development.
'I think the services we provide not only from a mental health standpoint, but support standpoint, can help individuals develop the coping skills to navigate challenging times, but also develop essential critical thinking skills,' Roberts said.
The Lemoyne College Wellness Center for Health and Counseling offers mental health services. The director tells us that a lot of young adults they see have been treated before going to college.
'Students who are identified early and get treatment early are much more successful moving through their academic years,' said Maria Randazzo, the center's director.
And if students aren't treated.
'They're not going to be academically successful, they will tend to isolate, they will not engage socially. We find they don't connect to the campus as well,' Randazzo said.
The decision to cut funding comes as the trump administration takes sweeping action against DEI programs and alleged racial discrimination practices in schools.
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