Bipartisan Mental Health Funds Eliminated Following Civil Rights Review
Trump cancels school mental health grants as administration axes nearly $1B meant for hiring and training school counselors. The move cuts funding supported by bipartisan legislation passed after the tragic 2022 Uvalde school shooting.
On April 29, schools and organizations across the U.S. received letters from the Department of Education stating their programs violated civil rights laws or misused federal funds. The termination notice, signed by senior advisor Murray Bessette, claimed the grants were no longer in the “best interest of the Federal Government.”
Funding Aimed at Post-Uvalde Trauma Support
The grants were part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, passed in the wake of the Uvalde massacre that left 19 children and 2 teachers dead. The legislation aimed to expand school-based support, including hiring counselors, therapists, and psychologists.
Programs that trained therapists on systemic racism and race-related trauma were among those targeted for cancellation. A statement from the Education Department accused the Biden-era programs of straying from their intended purpose.
Mental Health Advocates Slam the Cuts
Critics called the move dangerous and politically driven.
Nancy Duchesneau of EdTrust called the decision “irresponsible and cruel.”
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, warned:
“School shootings will only multiply if mental health programs are wiped away.”
She accused the administration of imposing ideological bias over student safety, saying, “Even bipartisan grants passed after a mass shooting aren’t safe from their culture war.”
What’s Next for School-Based Mental Health Services?
To focus on “evidence-based practices,” the Department of Education now plans to “re-envision” and re-compete the funding. The replacement’s budgetary timeline has not been disclosed.
School districts face a difficult situation as programs collapse, putting vital support services for kids dealing with trauma, anxiety, and violence at risk.
Source: USA Today
