Mental health advocates are pushing back on Gov. Mikie Sherrill鈥檚 plan to create a new system of school-based youth mental health services to replace a model dependent on regional behavioral health providers that was established by her predecessor four years ago.
Sherrill wants to spend $33 million to launch what she calls Spark, for School-based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids, to expand access to mental health services within school facilities. Her budget plan directs the state Department of Education to create a competitive grant program that school districts could tap to pay for on-site mental health professionals starting next fall.
New Jersey sought to expand behavioral health programs in schools across the state four years ago under former Gov. Phil Murphy when it launched NJ4S, or the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services program.
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