NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is pushing for funding to place a mental health clinician inside every school, similar to what the state does for school resource officers.
During a budget hearing with TDMHSAS Wednesday, Commissioner Marie Williams asked Gov. Bill Lee for almost $6 million to create 85 additional school-based behavioral health liaison positions, bringing the total number of positions to 472 and expanding access to 15,000 additional students.
“We’d like to have one in every school like we have one SRO in every school,” Williams said.
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School-based behavior health liaisons are masters-level clinicians who help schools become more “trauma-informed” and provide mental health services to students who need them.
The program was established in TN years ago, but only recently expanded to all 95 counties thanks to new funding. During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, TDMHSAS received an extra $8 million in Tennessee’s budget to create another 114 behavioral health liaison positions, bringing the current, total number of positions to 387.