East Bay School Board Approves Mental Health Funding
CONCORD (KCBS) – The Mt. Diablo school board has approved nearly $1 million in funding to cover mental health costs that were vetoed in the last state budget.
Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger chopped more than $130 million in mental health funding from AB 3632, a state mandate.
The money goes to students with severe emotional disabilities. Mt. Diablo School Board President Gary Eberhart said abandoning these students is not an option.
"They can be a safety risk to not only themselves, but to students around them," Eberhart said. "These residential treatment programs will provide them with the education they need, but doing so in a supervised manner."
KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:
Under AB 3632, school districts are responsible for addressing the counseling and psychological needs of these students.
"Our approach is to continue this at least through the end of the 2010-11 school year," said Eberhart.
He said board members are also calling on Governor Jerry Brown and the state legislature to restore mental health funding for public school students.
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