Federal funds going towards Laredo schools for mental wellness

LAREDO, Tx (KGNS) - More than five million dollars in federal funds will go to benefit the mental wellness of students at both of Laredo’s public school districts.

The funds will be awarded to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The funds will go towards establishing a partnership with the school districts of Laredo, United Mercedes and Valley View to increase the number of mental health professionals in schools which will be vital in post pandemic times.

Dr. Linda Garza, a school psychology specialist at UISD believes that when it comes to mental health resources, they are lacking resources to help the students.

“And right now, we know that during covid, after covid, we are noticing a rise in mental health difficulties, so it’s very important to be able to have the mental health staff to be able to provide those resources for our students,” said Dr. Garza.

The program will train 70 mental health providers during a five-year period.

Afterwards, they will serve in their respective school districts and help the student population deal with risks of chronic stress, anxiety, and substance abuse related diseases.

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