DPI seeks $60 million boost for school mental health

The state Department of Public Instruction on Monday called for more than $60 million in new spending on mental health in Wisconsin schools. The budget proposal calls for:

❚ $44 million in aid for social workers and mental health staff in schools to address the low ratio of social workers to students.

❚ $10 million to fund collaborative grants between schools and hospitals. No specific partnerships were announced.

❚ $5 million in specialized support for mental health training in schools.

❚ $3.25 million in funding from a competitive grant program for individual use on school-based mental health service programs. The department on Monday announced 64 districts and consortiums sharing in the funding.

The biggest push is for more school social workers. Tom McCarthy, spokesman for DPI, said the ratio of social workers to students has been rising since 2012 to a figure “astronomically out of whack compared to national numbers.” In 2012, the ratio was one social worker to 1,050 students.

Today, there is one social worker to every 1,528 students in Wisconsin schools. Nationally, the recommended ratio is one to 400.

Demand for mental health funding is something DPI has heard repeatedly for several years.

“When we go to districts ... this is always one of the first two or three things that come out of their mouth,” McCarthy said.

The $44 million would cover half the cost of taking on new staff members, an attempt aimed at decreasing the statewide ratio.

Special programs

The proposal would also increase statewide funding for specialized training and support in schools.

This means giving a boost to intervention programs like Youth Mental Health First Aid and Trauma Sensitive Schools.

Trauma Sensitive Schools is the most popular training program in Wisconsin, McCarthy said. Not every district participates, but schools seek training as they see fit. In southeastern Wisconsin, the Elmbrook, Kettle Moraine and Kenosha districts participate.

Being trauma-sensitive means the school trains staff to pinpoint sources of trauma in certain students as a way to help them with behavioral and academic struggles.

The total amount of funds given would be $5 million, up from the previous support of $420,000 statewide. Specific focus on these programs came from high demand from school districts, McCarthy said.

In addition, two new programs for suicide prevention will also be funded. Wisconsin has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the nation.

The DPI’s proposed budget would have to be approved by the state Legislature and the governor.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin has been reporting on youth mental health for several years with the Kids in Crisis series. The series illuminated high rates of mental illness and teen suicide, as well as shortages of mental health providers in schools.