New METRICS Program Offers Mental Health Support to Schools

In alignment with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), the Department of Education has awarded the University of Wisconsin a grant to establish a national Mental Health Evaluation, Training, Research, and Innovation Center for Schools (METRICS) to enhance mental health support and resources for schools across the country. The BSCA, signed into law in June 2022, will invest over $1 billion in school-based mental health programs over the next five years, aiming to double the number of school mental health professionals available to students. The shortage of mental health professionals is a key reason students often lack access to necessary mental health services. METRICS aims to address this gap by providing tools to strengthen the pipeline of high-quality mental health professionals and improve access to mental health services in high-need schools. This funding represents a significant step in building a mental health infrastructure in schools and communities nationwide. The METRICS Center will support programs to increase the number of mental health providers in schools and distribute resources to states, districts, and schools to address the social, emotional, and mental health needs of PK-12 students.

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