Courtney, Vernon Ed Officials Gushing Over Grant Implementation

VERNON, CT — A national lawmaker supporting a grant that funds the hiring and retention of school mental health specialists for the next three academic years had a first-hand look on how it is being spent Tuesday and education officials in Vernon were all to happy to show him.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney was at Vernon Center Middle School for a roundtable discussion with school officials on how the grant is being implemented.

Vernon Superintendent of Schools Joseph Macary said the grant is not only effective immediately, but serves as "a bridge plan for the future" to expand on counseling and life coaching programs in the future.

"This is a big topic in Washington," Courtney said. "You cannot over-care in the school system and we think this is grant that works. It's ARPA money well spent."

Last month Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene Russell announced the release of $15 million in funding for 72 school districts across Connecticut to support the hiring and retention of school mental health specialists for this and the following two school years.

Vernon was among the systems in line for the grant money, awarded under the Connecticut State Department of Education’s School Mental Health Specialists Grant program while utilizing funding the state received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The grants for each district range from $25,150 to $120,000 in each of the first two years and 70 percent of that amount in the third year.

Here is the breakdown for Vernon:

• 2024: $119,631
• 2025: $119,631
• 2026: $83,741.70
• Total: $323,003.70

As a result of the funding, Vernon now has intern Tori Franco teaming up with social worker Gui Sestes at VCMS.

Macary said in addition to traditional counseling approaches, a pilot program called VCMS 101 is in place to help sixth-graders make the transition from one of five elementary schools in town to one large grade 6 through 8 school.

"It's also a help in the now approach," VCMS Principal Davis Caruso said while expounding on the bridge theory.

Macary said he would ideally like more social workers in the buildings, but in the case of VCMS, two are better than one.

"Counseling can be about 95 percent academic-related, but we now have a system that addresses not only that, but social and other issues as well. For example, if a student has to spend some time in the hospital and then comes back to school, we have a system in place to help that student.

"Were happy it's a three-year grant because it gives us the opportunity to build on our programs."