Rep. Chu Demands Answers on Discontinuation of $1 Billion in School Mental Health Grants

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Lucy McBath (GA-06), and Don Bacon (NE-02) led a bipartisan letter to the Department of Education demanding answers following reports that the agency plans to reallocate $1 billion in federal mental health grant funding. This funding was originally approved by Congress through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which passed with broad bipartisan support to address the critical shortage of mental health professionals in schools.

“Students are six times as likely to receive needed mental health care when it is provided at school, and the majority of youth who receive needed services do so at school,” wrote the Members. “This includes prevention, early detection, and early intervention efforts, which are critical components of comprehensive mental and behavioral health services and crisis prevention.” 

“Integrating mental health services in schools has helped both students and staff succeed by addressing issues such as bullying, self-esteem, and suicide, while improving schools’ capacity to identify, refer, and provide services to help students in need,” the Members continued. School-based mental health professionals have improved staff retention, helped keep students in school, and promoted learning environments where students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.”

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act provided $500 million each to the only two existing grant programs focused on addressing the critical shortage of school-based mental health professionals and increasing access to vital school-based services: the Mental Health Services Professional Demonstration Grant and the School-Based Mental Health Services Program. In just nine months, these two federal grant programs have delivered measurable outcomes, including:

• Mental Health Services Professional Demonstration (MHSP) Grants:
  • Trained 1,767 school mental health professionals
  • Placed 1,191 graduate trainees in high-need schools
  • Hired 133 new providers
• School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) Grants:
  • Hired 1,163 school mental health professionals
  • Retained 13,155 existing staff

Provided services to more than 774,000 students

“Now is not the time to turn back on investing in our children’s mental health and the mental health workforce,” the Members concluded. “Uncertainty jeopardizes the work that has been done to increase comprehensive youth mental and behavioral health services, and the availability of school-based mental health professionals across the country.”

The letter calls on the Department to provide a comprehensive response by July 14, 2025, detailing:

• The Department’s strategy to address the youth mental health crisis;
• How any reallocation or recompete process will sustain or expand services to students;
• How the Department will ensure funding continues to reach the very school-based programs Congress specifically established and expanded through BSCA.

“As the only psychologist in Congress and a former educator for over 20 years, I know firsthand how important school psychologists are to the mental health and well-being of students. And yet we currently have a nationwide shortage of school psychologists, with an average of over 1,000 students for every 1 school psychologist—a far cry from the recommended ratio of 500 to 1,” said Congresswoman Judy Chu “At a time when about 1 in 5 students struggles with a mental health disorder, we should be increasing, not decreasing, our investments to ensure students have access to the help they need. I’m proud to join my colleagues in sending this letter, and I look forward to getting answers from the Department of Education on why they recently discontinued $1 billion in federal grants for schools to hire more mental health professionals and what their plan is to address the youth mental health crisis.”

“These funds were never intended to be a theoretical exercise—they were designed to confront an urgent crisis affecting millions of children,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “With youth mental health challenges at an all-time high, any disruption or diversion of resources threatens to reverse hard-won progress and leave communities without critical supports. It is important for the Department to share a clear plan to ensure these resources remain dedicated to expanding mental health support for students.”

"Increasing access to school psychologists and other school mental health professionals is critical to supporting student learning and well-being. The U.S. Department of Education must continue prioritizing efforts that address the nationwide shortage of these professionals by reinstating grant programs that have already proven their impact. We are grateful for Representative Fitzpatrick's continued leadership in support of these programs and look forward to the Department's timely response. NASP stands ready to work with our partners in the federal government to ensure that every student has access to school psychologists and the critical services we provide,” said National Association of School Psychologists President, Dr. Peter Faustino.

Click here to read the letter.