Rural Oklahoma children were experiencing increased access to counselors, but subsequently faced a financial setback as federal funding was revoked.
The Project Rural Innovation for Mental Health Enhancement (PRIME) program, which aimed to address the shortage of mental health providers in Oklahoma schools, has faced an unexpected early termination of its federal funding. This decision by the U.S. Education Department has significantly impacted enrollment and rural service delivery.
Launched in 2023 and funded by the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the PRIME program had already accepted its next round of students - 10 counselors, 12 behavior analysts, and 5 social workers. However, due to the revocation of federal grant funds, the program's funding will now end this December, instead of December 2027.
The early termination appears to be a result of administrative decisions concerning grant management and adherence to terms and conditions linked to federal funding awards. Federal agencies can cancel or withhold funding if the project no longer aligns with agency priorities or due to non-compliance with award terms, as seen in broader federal grant termination policies.
Brittany Hott, who oversees PRIME, reported that the program has graduated 16 providers and has 24 students currently working towards their degrees. Unfortunately, only five future behavior analysts, seven counselors, and one social worker have decided to stay with the program after being notified the funding would end in December.
According to a study published in 2022 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, rural schools are 19% less likely than city schools to report that they're providing mental health assessments to students. The most common reasons they gave are inadequate access to mental health professionals and inadequate funding. The PRIME program was designed to help address these issues, and its early termination may exacerbate the mental health challenges faced by rural schools and students.
Studies have shown that students who can access school counselors have better academic and behavioral outcomes and are better prepared for college or a career. In Oklahoma, where there is one school counselor for every 361 students, according to ASCA, the early termination of the PRIME program may have a significant impact on the state's students.
Anna Olson, who is set to finish her master's degree in school counseling at the University of Oklahoma next spring, is one of the students affected by the early termination. Bailey Smith, a teacher at Friend Public School in Chickasha, Okla., graduated debt-free from OU's PRIME program with a master's degree in special education with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis. Smith said the opportunity changed the trajectory of her teaching career and helped her make a difference in some of her students' lives.
The National Association of School Psychologists has counted more than 200 mental health training programs that received letters of grant non-continuation from the U.S. Education Department. As of July, federal data shows all 77 of the state's counties in Oklahoma were experiencing some level of shortage of mental health professionals. The early termination of the PRIME program may exacerbate these shortages and leave rural communities without the mental health services they need.
Programs that received grant cancellation notices have been allowed to file a request for reconsideration. It remains to be seen whether the PRIME program will be able to secure continued funding and continue its important work in addressing the mental health needs of rural Oklahoma schools and students.
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