SAN ANTONIO, TX - Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Ph.D. announced $2,690,608 in federal funding in support of mental health professionals for the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD).

"This year, I secured $2,690,608 in federal funding from the Department of Education's Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant for the San Antonio Independent School District," said Dr. Cuellar, a Senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee. "Our communities need more licensed mental health professionals, and SAISD is helping train the next generation of this crucial sector in San Antonio. I would like to thank Stephanie Ratliff, Principal of Herff Elementary, Tony Thompson, Chief of Staff for SAISD, and Gabriella Bello, Counselor for SAISD, for being here today and for their efforts in providing mental health resources for students in San Antonio."

This funding supports a five-year project, Con Cariño: School Mental Health with Heart, which assists with SAISD's internship-to-employment pipeline for licensed Master Social workers by adding a new pathway for counseling interns.

There is a demand for more licensed mental health professionals in SAISD. The grant funding for the Con Cariño project supports four social work interns and two school psychology counseling interns that will help meet this demand.

As part of the Con Cariño project, local graduate students can work with children, gain real-world experience to advance their careers, and get paid to do so. The program also helps with the costs of licensing exams and their preparation. Some interns have returned to work full-time after completing their internships, helping SAISD retain a workforce that understands the community and the needs of its students.

Congressman Cuellar has previously helped SAISD by securing $36,511,343 in federal funding for school lunch reimbursements in 2023, $344,000 in federal funding from the Title I, School Improvement Grant in FY24, and $494,304 in federal funding from the FY22 COPS School Violence Prevention Program.

Congressman Cuellar will continue to support San Antonio schools with the federal funding they need for more mental health resources.

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