The following is also available at CSWE.org
The letter below was sent on August 15 to Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Hayley B. Sanon at the U.S. Department of Education by CSWE President and CEO Halaevalu F. O. Vakalahi PhD, MSW, MEd
On behalf of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) – which represents over 900 accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree social work programs, as well as individual social work educators, practitioners, and agencies dedicated to advancing quality social work education – we appreciate the opportunity to submit comments to the Department of Education (ED) on the proposed priorities for the Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant Program. CSWE is looking forward to working with the Department and their efforts to address concerns of students’ mental health and ensure that early intervention mental health services, and intensive mental health services for the students most in need of those services, are being provided.
We commend the Department for recognizing the urgent need to address shortages in the school-based mental health workforce and for maintaining support for this program in fiscal year (FY) 2025. However, we have significant concerns with the decision to limit the program’s scope solely to support school psychologists. School social workers are an integral part of the school mental health workforce. As explicitly defined by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, “the term ‘school-based mental health services provider’ includes a State-licensed or State-certified school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, or other State licensed or certified mental health professional qualified under State law to provide mental health services to children and adolescents.” Excluding school social workers from this program contradicts existing federal definitions that emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to student mental health.
A study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) titled Characteristics and Outcomes of School Social Work Services: A Scoping Review of Published Evidence 2000–June 2022, found that “Most school social work interventions and services targeted high-needs students to improve their social, mental/behavioral health, and academic outcomes,” with positive results stemming from these early interventions. School social workers also often collaborate with school guidance counselors and psychologists to address students’ mental health needs through a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). The most recent National School Social Worker Census, conducted by School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA), found that “significant disparities compared to the recommended ratio of 1 school social worker for every 250 PK-12 students. No state meets this benchmark, highlighting the need for further examination and support.”
With the latest FY 2024 MHSP grants continuing to train and integrate the next generation of the school-based mental health providers into high-need school districts; limiting future eligibility to only school psychologists risks narrowing the scope of services available to students and undercuts the collaborative, MTSS that are central to effective school-based mental health programs.
CSWE respectfully urges the Department to broaden the MHSP Demonstration Grant Program’s scope to include school social workers, in addition to school psychologists, as eligible school-based mental health services providers under this competition. We strongly support the Department’s commitment to improving student mental health and behavioral health outcomes. We believe that expanding the MHSP Demonstration Grant Program to include school social workers will align with the goals of the Department in addressing workforce shortages more broadly and ensure that students receive more robust mental health services they need to succeed.
CSWE thanks the Department for this opportunity to provide comments on these proposed priorities for the MHSP Demonstration Grant Program and offers itself as a resource to ensure the program’s maximum impact on students’ mental well-being.