BROWNSVILLE — U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, whose district includes Cameron County, has announced the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will receive two grants totalling $2.2 million during a period of five years from the U.S. Department of Education.
The grant is part of the Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Program striving to train school-based mental health service providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies.
The grants are the first installment of a continuation amounts that will be distributed during the next five years. The first yearly amount for Project Mental Health Service (MHS) Access 2 will be $1 million and Project Mental Health Services Demonstration Grant Program will be for $1.1 million.
“Mental health is proving to be one of the most pressing issues facing our children and communities,” Gonzalez stated. “This funding will train the next generation of mental health professionals that will serve our community. I thank UTRGV for all their work in serving our community.”
“Given the significant mental health challenges faced by youth, strengthening school-based mental health services is a top priority for UTRGV,” Dr. Can Saygin, senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College at UTRGV, said. “I am pleased the Department of Education is investing more than $2.2 million in the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to train school personnel and students and hire additional mental health professionals across the RGV. The mental health services supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Program will help mitigate the negative impacts of mental health issues on young people’s academic, social, and emotional development.”
“My team and I, as well as our graduate students from the master’s programs in school psychology, counseling and social work, are ready to provide the necessary mental health services in schools to our K-12 students,” Dr. Nancy Peña Razo, professor of Practice/Program Coordinator at UTRGV’s Department of Human Development and School Services, stated.
“These grants are also allowing us to build upon the infrastructure for referrals in schools of students for additional intervention when it is needed. There are so many events in the lives of children that are affecting their mental health. We are glad that we can support our graduate students in their continued training to be school-based mental health service providers and they, in turn, provide direct intervention to our K-12 students. It is a win-win all around. We have amazing local education agency (school district) partners who have welcomed our project with open arms to support their students,” she said.
The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program provides competitive grants to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health service providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies.
With the grants, more than 100 graduate students will be trained during the next five years to serve school districts throughout the Rio Grande Valley, including Edcouch-Elsa Independent School District, Mercedes Independent School District, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District, South Texas Independent School District and IDEA Public Schools.
