Along with our co-signers, AFC is concerned about the physical, mental, and economic toll COVID-19 is taking on our communities – including our students, educators, families, and schools. We recognize that the traumatizing impact on our students may be long lasting and all students, particularly those who had significant mental health challenges pre-dating the pandemic, will require mental health supports and services upon return to school sometime next year.

We urge the Mayor to take a necessary next step in the administration’s increased efforts to develop and support innovative programs that serve individuals with the highest mental health needs by launching a program targeted to students with significant mental health needs who require a higher level of integrated services to succeed in school.

We call on the administration to include and baseline $15 million in the FY 2021 budget to launch and sustain a Mental Health Continuum to support the significant behavioral health needs of students in designated neighborhoods in high-need schools.