Leveraging Wisconsin’s Modified School-Based Mental Health Services State Funding

By Jessica Frain and Liz Krubsack, SSPW Mental Health Consultants, in collaboration with Barb Novak, Special Education Team EMLSS Consultant

From 2019-2023, the School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) Grant Program was a competitive mental health grant program funded by the State of Wisconsin, with funds awarded to school districts and independent charter schools (ICS) to be used for the purpose of providing mental health services to pupils in collaboration with community mental health providers. Over this period, approximately 36 million dollars was awarded to about 210 districts or ICSs. Grantees focused on universal mental health promotion efforts, including Social and Emotional Learning, mental health literacy, suicide prevention, and staff well-being. They also focused on building Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems, strengthening components such as collaborative relationships with community supports, building mental health referral pathways, and engaging in needs assessment and resource mapping processes. 

In the 2023-2025 State Budget, Act 19 changed how funds are distributed under the SBMHS Grant program from a competition to a per pupil allocation to all school districts and ICSs. Grant amounts are calculated using current year revenue limit membership for school districts and current year enrollment for ICSs. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated that the funding under Act 19 will provide about $31 per pupil, based on 2022-23 revenue limit membership and ICS enrollments. The aid payments in fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 will depend on actual enrollments. DPI will provide school districts and ICS with estimated allocations for the current school year by December 1 and finalized allocations by the fourth Monday in March, when Per Pupil Aid is paid to school districts; final aid payments will be distributed by June 30. 

With new funding comes new opportunities for administrators to prioritize school mental health efforts. One of the first steps that administrators can take is increasing the mental health literacy of school staff, students, and caregivers, starting with evaluating their own knowledge and attitudes regarding mental health. By increasing the mental health literacy of staff, they are empowered to understand that regardless of their position, they play an important role in supporting student mental health, like having supportive conversations with students and creating welcoming school environments. This is one of many high leverage uses of funding that administrators can employ when considering how to use the School-Based Mental Health Services State Funding in a sustainable and impactful way.