Waterbury School District Struggles with Mental Health Support: Lawmakers Call for Increased Funding and Staffing

The current number of mental health professionals in schools is not enough to meet the growing need for mental health support among students, according to lawmakers in Waterbury, CT. Members of the education community have expressed concern that the current support staff is overwhelmed by the demand for mental health services.

For example, in the Waterbury school district, there is only one full-time school certified psychologist for every 2,672 students. In Connecticut as a whole, there is one certified school counselor for every 333 students from pre-K to 12th grade. These statistics highlight the urgent need for change and advocates are pushing for proposed legislation that aims to increase the number of mental health professionals in schools.

Advocates pointed out that across the state, there is only one full-time certified psychologist for every 494 students and one certified social worker for every 384 students. Lawmakers like Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Jahana Hayes argue that this proposed legislation is crucial to address this critical issue and provide adequate support to students who need it most.

The news conference was scheduled to take place at Westside Middle School in Waterbury where lawmakers will discuss further details about the proposed federal legislation aimed at increasing the number of mental health professionals in schools.