USED released a document which provides step-by-step guidance to educational leaders to advocate for their state to use available federal Medicaid funds to address student needs, boost student achievement, and help improve life outcomes by creating a plan to allow reimbursement for services to all Medicaid-enrolled students. 

The “Creating Access and Resources in Education (CARE) for Student Mental Health Act” was recently introduced by Senators John Cornyn, Thom Tillis, Maggie Hassan, Jon Tester, and Kyrsten Sinema. This legislation is backed by AESA, AASA, the National Association of School Psychologists and 40 other education, healthcare, and civil rights organizations. It makes improvements to the U.S. Department of Education’s mental health grant programs and ensures that rural and hard-to-reach districts, have more opportunities to access resources and hire critical mental health personnel. 

Read full update here.

Congress passed a $1.2 trillion dollar spending bill to provide funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, an omnibus package that wrapped up funding for the remaining eight appropriations bills, including the Labor Health Human Services Education and Others (LHHS) bill, which provides for education. FY24 runs October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024 (yes, we are already halfway through FY24) and FY24 funding will be in schools for the 2024-25 school year.

Read update here.