Federal dollars will help Florida schools hire, train more mental health professionals

States across the south, including Florida, will soon receive federal dollars to hire more mental health professionals for K-12 public schools.

Florida K-12 schools will receive grants aimed at hiring more than 1,000 new counselors and other mental health professionals.

Four public universities in the state, including the University of Central Florida, will also receive federal dollars to train those mental health professionals.

The announcement comes on the heels of a new CDC report that finds suicide deaths are on the rise among high school students and more people have thought about taking their own lives.

In 2021, almost a third of high school girls considered suicide.

If you or a loved one is depressed or feeling hopeless, you can find help here.

Copyright 2023 WMFE. To see more, visit WMFE.