Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Announce $2.5 million to Expand School-Based Health Services in Our Schools

Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper, Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) announced that Delaware will receive $2.5 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand health care resources offered at Delaware’s public schools. This funding is the direct result of a provision co-authored by Senator Carper that was included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation also championed by Senator Coons and Representative Blunt Rochester.

Delaware has been awarded $2.5 million to enhance facilities, recruit health care providers, and/or develop systems to further reinvest in growing school-based health care offerings.

Schools play an important and unique role in helping Medicaid‑eligible children access the physical and behavioral health care they need throughout their school‑day. Medicaid-covered school-based services meet children and adolescents where they are – in school, five days a week for seven hours a day.

“Delaware has made significant progress when it comes to investing in school-based health services,” said Governor Carney. “This federal investment will help us build on that progress.  I want to thank the federal delegation for their continued advocacy for our students.”

“As Governor, I made a commitment to put a wellness center in every high school and a nurse in every public school, and those efforts continue today in our middle and elementary schools,” said Senator Carper. “We are now building on Delaware’s successes and investing in school-based health care services nation-wide. As we continue to focus on addressing youth mental health, it’s more important than ever that we ensure those services are easy to access for students and their families, including right where children are – in school.”

Delaware’s application for this Grant is reflective of the nationwide child and adolescent mental health crisis, to which Delaware is responding with action as a part of the State’s broader commitment to the health and well-being of children and adolescents. This work will not be conducted in isolation as the Grant builds upon a strong foundation of initiatives Delaware has pursued in recent years related to children’s behavioral health.

“Federal investment will continue to improve the health and wellbeing of Delaware’s children,” said Senator Coons. “This funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to expand school-based health services through Medicaid is the latest example of how President Biden and the congressional delegation have delivered for Delawareans.”

“With our young people facing more health challenges than ever before, access to school-based health care services has never been more important,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester, member of the House Health Subcommittee. “I am proud to have worked with Senators Carper and Coons to secure this federal investment in Delaware’s schools. This funding will increase support for our young people, providing them with the tools and trained professionals they need to succeed. I will continue to advocate in Congress to further expand health services for children, including mental and behavioral health services in our schools and across our health care systems.”

Delaware recently passed House Bill 5, sponsored by House Speaker Valerie Longhurst, which requires the state to apply for federal authority to expand medically necessary behavioral health services beyond the need of IEP or IFSP documentation. The CMS funding and technical assistance will help Delaware make necessary technology upgrades and implement best practices to maximize access for Delaware’s students.

This $2.5 million CMS grant also strengthens the partnership between Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Department of Education.

“Medicaid-covered school-based services are a key aspect in helping children access the physical and mental health services they need and deserve,” said DHSS Cabinet Secretary Josette Manning. “These grants will not only advance children’s health, but ultimately can boost educational outcomes by improving student attendance, academic performance, and overall well-being.”