Norwich schools cut funding for in-house mental health counselors
NORWICH – After two years of providing in-house mental health counselors to its students for $30,000 a year, the Norwich City School District (NCSD) has officially announced that it will no longer offer the service.
According to NCSD Superintendent Gerard O'Sullivan, the school district provided an office for two in-house counselors from Chenango County's Behavioral Health Services and paid them a total of $30,000 a year in return for mental health services, but has decided to end their agreement with the organization.
"The clients were formerly getting their services over at the Chenango County Office Building about two years ago, before we tried this program," said O'Sullivan. "The individuals who need those services can now return to the office building and continue receiving the same services there."
He said the funding cuts haven't resulted in job cuts, and students will be able to continue getting the services they need at that location.
Chenango Links, a grassroots organization dedicated on spreading information and ensuring transparency in government, made an official statement on the funding issue on Sunday.
According to Chenango Links Representative Canice Paliotta, the counselors were providing care to over 100 students during school hours, and mental health care is crucial during adolescence to help curb future mental health issues during adulthood.
"Providing mental health counseling in the schools makes it easier for students to seek the care they need," said Paliotta. "There may be a portion of the more than 100 students being effected by this change that receive care elsewhere, but there is going to be a substantial number of those children that do not receive care for a variety of reasons."
She said the school has cut funding to the program because they see it as expendable, but many of the children who were receiving care at the school likely won't travel to the Chenango County Office Building in the future.
"A lot of our kids have already lost," said Paliotta. "The whole purpose of having this program available in the school is to allow kids to comfortably go into an office in their school, and have a place they don't have to feel self conscious about going to."
She said having trained mental health professionals in the school made a big impact on student's lives, and unfortunately those students will likely not receive the help they need because of Norwich City School District's decision.
According to NCSD Superintendent Gerard O'Sullivan, the school district provided an office for two in-house counselors from Chenango County's Behavioral Health Services and paid them a total of $30,000 a year in return for mental health services, but has decided to end their agreement with the organization.
"The clients were formerly getting their services over at the Chenango County Office Building about two years ago, before we tried this program," said O'Sullivan. "The individuals who need those services can now return to the office building and continue receiving the same services there."
He said the funding cuts haven't resulted in job cuts, and students will be able to continue getting the services they need at that location.
Chenango Links, a grassroots organization dedicated on spreading information and ensuring transparency in government, made an official statement on the funding issue on Sunday.
According to Chenango Links Representative Canice Paliotta, the counselors were providing care to over 100 students during school hours, and mental health care is crucial during adolescence to help curb future mental health issues during adulthood.
"Providing mental health counseling in the schools makes it easier for students to seek the care they need," said Paliotta. "There may be a portion of the more than 100 students being effected by this change that receive care elsewhere, but there is going to be a substantial number of those children that do not receive care for a variety of reasons."
She said the school has cut funding to the program because they see it as expendable, but many of the children who were receiving care at the school likely won't travel to the Chenango County Office Building in the future.
"A lot of our kids have already lost," said Paliotta. "The whole purpose of having this program available in the school is to allow kids to comfortably go into an office in their school, and have a place they don't have to feel self conscious about going to."
She said having trained mental health professionals in the school made a big impact on student's lives, and unfortunately those students will likely not receive the help they need because of Norwich City School District's decision.
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