Danbury School District Scores $135K For Summer Mental Health Programs

DANBURY, CT — The Danbury School District has been awarded $135,000 by the state to be used to support the delivery of mental health services for students during the summer months over a three-year period.

The money is part of more than $4.5 million in funding for 48 school districts and summer camp programs across Connecticut awarded under the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Summer Mental Health Supports Grant program.

The grants for each district and summer camp program range from $12,000 to $50,000 in each of the first two years and are reduced to 70 percent of that amount in year three. The competitive grant program is utilizing funding the state received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

"Last year I was proud to vote for Senate Bill 1 – our caucus's top legislative priority – which addressed childhood mental and physical health services in schools. Part of that was providing grants for school districts to hire and retain more school social workers, school psychologists, school counselors and nurses," State Senator Julie Kushner said. "Mental health is 365 days a year. It doesn’t take summers off. Our children deserve our caring and support, and this grant will help accomplish that in Danbury."

This is the third of three rounds of grants the department is releasing with ARPA funding that are aimed at increasing access to mental health support services for youths in schools.