Rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among youth were on the rise even before the pandemic, and now our nation’s youth face an unprecedented mental health crisis. In July the Biden-Harris Administration announced two new actions to strengthen school-based mental health services and address the youth mental health crisis: 1) The U.S. Department of Education is disbursing the first of nearly $300 million the President secured through the FY2022 bipartisan omnibus agreement to expand access to mental health services in schools; and 2) In a letter sent to governors across the country, the Departments of Education and of Health and Human Services highlighted federal resources available to states and schools to invest in mental health services for students.

An additional $1.7 billion for mental health is headed to our schools and communities thanks to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) signed by President Biden last month.

Read more about the Department’s plans to address the youth mental health crisis here.