Investing in School Mental Health: Strategies to Wisely Spend Federal and State Funding

In the context of the current youth mental health crisis, it prudent to reconsider how resources are allocated to fa- cilitate the delivery of effective and comprehensive supports and services to children and adolescents. Schools are the main delivery sites for youth mental health services. Many districts have adopted comprehensive school mental health systems (CSMHS) to provide a multitiered approach com- prising mental health promotion, prevention, and inter- vention to students via partnerships between school and community health and behavioral health providers. COVID- 19 relief funding and other new federal and state investments in school mental health have led to expansions of school mental health programming in most states. An impending federal funding cliff necessitates an examination of how to wisely invest now to achieve the greatest positive future im- pact on youth mental health. To capitalize on opportunities to sustain effective school mental health and maximize return on investment, states may consider four strategies: leverage cross-sector partnerships to advance school mental health policies and funding, strengthen and expand Medicaid cov- erage of CSMHS, establish and enhance data systems, and create state technical assistance and professional develop- ment support for CSMHS implementation through local ed- ucation agencies.