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S.C. lawmakers ponder spending $2.2 million to put MH counselors in every school
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
mental health weekly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1556-7583
pISSN - 1058-1103
DOI - 10.1002/mhw.31841
Subject(s) - mental health , state (computer science) , depression (economics) , anxiety , civil liberties , political science , psychology , criminology , law , psychiatry , algorithm , computer science , politics , economics , macroeconomics
South Carolina lawmakers want $2.2 million of their $9 billion state budget to put mental health professionals in every school by 2020, WBTW News13 reported March 20. Horry County schools have counselors from the Waccamaw Center for Mental Health and Rehabilitative Behavioral Health Services (RBHS), helping students cope with issues they're facing. A recent report by the American Civil Liberties Union said today's schoolchildren are experiencing record levels of depression, anxiety and trauma, which Gretchen Smith, co‐coordinator for RBHS, attributes to pressure from social media, achievements some children feel they have to reach and the molds they feel they must fit into. RBHS has 85 staff members and offers individual, group and family psychotherapy. It works with more than 1,000 students a year. Smith said RBHS could use more counselors. Last year, the school district gave RBHS eight more counselors. This year, they're asking for three more positions, which would cost the district nearly $230,000. Lawmakers are currently working on the budget.