Gov. Evers signs bill that expands school-based counseling options
Gov. Tony Evers has signed a bill into law that allows marriage and family therapists to work directly in schools.
It’s an effort many have been pushing for since Wisconsin recognized the profession more than 50 years ago, said Amanda Anderson, chair of the Wisconsin Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.
“Under our previous presidents, WAMFT attempted to draft and pass legislation to get (marriage and family therapists) in schools, but the reforms all stalled,” said Anderson, who owns and serves as a therapist at Oshkosh Marriage and Family Therapy Center LLC.
Under the new law, schools can hire marriage and family therapists to work on a regular basis with students on campus, which removes the middle man and economic barriers associated with counseling. The onus will no longer fall on parents to pay for these counseling services, since therapists would be on the school’s payroll and services would be provided through the schools.
But the new law is likely to face challenges at a time when daunting financial deficits face districts statewide. Schools have had to make difficult budget decisions specifically around school closures, staff numbers and benefits, and, increasingly, are turning to taxpayers to vote on referendums.
Still, marriage and family therapists, as well as lawmakers, remain optimistic about the law giving schools the option to hire such therapists. For Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard, who introduced and advocated for the bill, making this a local decision is key to its success.
“Every school and school district will be able to determine if this is a solution that works for them, either short term or long term,” Steffen said. “And it provides a tremendous amount of flexibility.”
Anderson explained the law doesn’t replace a school district’s ability to work with third-party counseling services; rather, it allows schools to choose how and in what capacity they hire school-based counselors.
“Our hope is that they will want to create this position because youths will be more inclined to open up to trusted adults, especially ones they see daily,” Anderson said.
Why did advocates think this bill was necessary?
Before the bill’s introduction, state law prohibited marriage and family therapists from providing services directly within a school. Social workers and professional counselors, however, could be awarded Tier 1 licensing through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, which enables those mental health professionals to work within a school for a single year.
Expanding the pool of eligible mental health professionals who can work in schools is just one proactive way to respond to the growing mental health crisis, advocates of the bill said.