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Howard County committed $2.1 million to expand their School-Based Mental Health program across all 77 public schools in the county.
The funds are designed to help Howard County youth have better and more access to mental health resources - especially those who historically struggled to obtain them.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said this effort was particularly fueled by the pandemic and its impact on people's mental health.
"Every Howard County student - which means nearly 58,000 kids in every school - will now have access to mental health services," Ball said during a ceremony on Tuesday, April 26. "Our actions, at the individual level and the government level, can make a difference and save lives."
The program will bring more social workers to county schools and create a culture "that is accepting of mental health and acknowledges the impact of trauma on students," the county wrote on its website.
The program has shown to improve students' attendance, academic growth, social-emotional skills and helped students avoid trouble.
More information about the program can be found here.
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