LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Behavioral Health Services, in partnership with the Lake County Office of Education, has been awarded a Mental Health Student Services Act grant through the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.
This competitive grant is designed to incentivize partnerships between Behavioral Health and educational agencies, for the purpose of increasing access to mental health services in locations easily accessible to students and their families.
Importantly, this grant will support the mental health needs of Lake County students now returning to in-person school after over a year of shelter-in-place isolation.
Behavioral Health and LCOE have enjoyed a strong working relationship, serving youth in the community for many years. The organizations recognize how critical it is to identify and address mental health issues early on.
Mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders can begin early in childhood. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in six children aged 2-8 years (17.4%) have a diagnosed condition.
Poverty is also a well-established risk factor for a variety of health issues, including mental health conditions. Overall, about 32% of children in Lake County live in poverty, and in the communities of Clearlake and Lower Lake, this percentage jumps to 48% and 51%, respectively. This is dramatically higher than the State average of 25%.
The Mental Health Student Services Act grant is designed to provide support services that include, at a minimum, mental health services on school campuses, suicide prevention services, drop-out prevention services, placement assistance and service plans for students in need of ongoing services.
The grant also includes outreach to high-risk youth, including foster youth, youth who identify as LGBTQ, and youth who have been expelled or suspended from school.
Behavioral Health and LCOE designed a proposal that would include additional mental health staff who will collaborate with teachers and other school staff to provide services and increase access to mental health interventions.
Grant activities will begin in October, and will continue through 2026.
Lake County Behavioral Health Services, Lake County Office of Education receive $2.4 million grant for student mental health services
- Lake County News reports