Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act

The Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act creates a federal grant program to increase mental health staff in low-income schools. It provides funding for partnerships between low-income schools (where at least 20% of students are from families below the poverty line) and graduate programs in school counseling, psychology, and social work. Grant funds can cover training costs, salary support for new mental health providers, recruitment of underrepresented students, and student loan repayment for mental health staff working in qualifying schools. The bill sets target ratios for staff-to-student ratios (like 1 counselor per 250 students) and requires annual reporting on program outcomes. The program is authorized for $200 million annually to address mental health staffing shortages in schools serving high-poverty communities.