States across the country, including Florida, will soon receive federal dollars to hire and train mental health professionals for public schools.
Florida K-12 schools will receive grants aimed at hiring more than 1,000 counselors and other mental health professionals.
The grants are part of more than $95 million awards Monday across 35 states funded by two grant programs in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
According to Education Department, an estimated 1,086 mental health will be hired in Florida public schools due to the grants.
Four public universities in the state will also receive federal dollars to train mental health professionals: University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University.
The announcement comes on the heels of a new CDC report that finds suicide deaths are on the rise among high school students and more people have thought about taking their lives.
In 2021, almost a third of high school girls considered suicide.
If you or a loved one is depressed or feeling hopeless, you can find help here.
Copyright 2023 WMFE. To see more, visit WMFE.