SOUTH HADLEY — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced that it is awarding $5.5 million in grants to 60 school districts, educational collaboratives and charter schools across Massachusetts, to improve student access to behavioral and mental health services and support.
South Hadley Public Schools received $99,734 and South Hadley Superintendent Mark McLaughlin talked about the funds and how they will be used in South Hadley.
The funding could have been used to create or expand comprehensive, integrated systems of student support and aims, through collaboration with families and educators, to build strong local school partnerships with community-based mental health agencies and/or providers.
In addition, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provided related professional development for school district staff.
McLaughlin explained the funds will be put toward a combination of things, the sum of which is to help support students’ social and emotional health and wellness.
For example, the funds will be used to purchase materials and supplies to support Tier 2 and 3 mental health supports for students.
It will also be used to provide training and certificate courses for clinicians to learn and implement different instructional and supportive modalities in work with students and generalized supportive professional development for all teachers to use with and for their students.
The funds will also go toward providing additional opportunities to engage with community and caregivers by hosting community events around support and care for students struggling with mental health challenges, purchase the Suite 360-behavior/substance use support platform and to provide the continued use of the Care Solace program.
Care Solace is a mental health care coordination service that connects students, families and staff with local mental health providers.
The rest of the funding will be used to build, create and expand upon site-based calm down spaces for dysregulated students,” according to McLaughlin
When talking about how these funds will benefit the students, McLaughlin said, “In a time when public education is facing so many threats resulting in so much being taken away from students, this grant of $99,000 is entirely focused on student support, and in creating the conditions for students experiencing emotional challenge to find support and care so they can continue to thrive in their education.”
Like many districts across the country, South Hadley is going through a tough budget cycle, so McLaughlin said he was happy to receive some state aid to continue to build upon some important programs in the district. He stated, “Quite simply, it felt, and feels, like a gift to have the resources to be able to support students in meaningful and sustainable ways. We are very, very grateful. I am very appreciative of the district admin team who partnered together to establish the needs list and who then took that from concept to realization. I am also most appreciative of our district’s Mental Health Coordinator, Courtney Mackey, who has spearheaded so much of the growth we see in social emotional supports throughout the district.”
Besides giving a shoutout to Mackey, McLaughlin said, “Finally, I must specifically thank the teachers and counselors who are implementing these programs already in place which, with these funds, will now be sustained. Our data suggests genuine and sustained positive impact on the mental health of our students, a tribute to the fidelity of implementation by our teachers. We are very grateful for this grant which will allow this progress to continue.”
Addressing the youth mental health crisis remains a priority for the Healey-Driscoll administration, and Gov. Maura Healey’s fiscal year 2026 budget includes over $21 million to support student behavioral and mental health.
“We have a mental health crisis that was only made worse by the pandemic, particularly for students. That’s why improving students’ access to behavioral and mental health care is a priority for our administration,” said Healey. “These grants will help districts connect students with the services they need to be safe, healthy and successful today and into the future.
