U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Department of Human Services Announce Expansion of School-Based Health Services

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN), the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that the state has been selected to receive funding to improve school-based health services. Medicaid and CHIP cover over 41 million children, and this program presents an opportunity to provide health care for kids where they spend a significant amount of time: at school. Some care is easiest to provide at school, such as preventive medicine, mental health care, physical and occupational therapy, and disease management. Providing care at school can help ease transportation for parents, reduce stigma and missed school-time. The funding was made available by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation aimed at curbing gun violence and mental illness in schools, which both Senators supported in Congress.

"Providing health care to students at school - where they spend a significant portion of their time - helps them thrive," said Senator Smith. "We need to expand school-based health services to help meet students where they're at and better support young people's mental and physical health, and that's exactly what this initiative will help do. It removes many barriers to access, such as trying to figure out how to leave school in the middle of the day, and promotes health equity."

"Schools provide vital mental and behavioral health care on-site to many Minnesota students,"said Senator Klobuchar. "This grant will allow schools to do even more to provide students with the convenient and accessible support they need to do well in the classroom and live healthy lives."

"Schools are a critical place for reaching and supporting young people in Minnesota. With these resources, we will be able to do even more to meet the needs of students to address mental health and other behavioral health needs," said MDE Commissioner Jett and DHS Commissioner Harpstead.

Using Medicaid to address gaps in school-based health services has been a key strategy utilized by public health experts in recent years. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid awarded the funds to support Minnesota's plans to allow schools to provide more services to children, especially those in rural and other underserved areas.