All MOCO High Schools Will Have Mental Health Centers With New Funding

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Every public high school in Montgomery County will have a wellness center, following an $8 million allocation from the County Council.

“After almost two years of isolation and increased incidents of in-school violence and student self-harm, the calls from our students for increased mental health support are loud and clear,” said Montgomery County Student Member of the Board of Education Hana O’Looney in a news release announcing the allocation. “Educational performance and student mental health are inextricable."

The wellness centers are school spaces where students can receive mental health support and address students' needs "in a holistic and culturally proficient fashion," said Councilmember Nancy Navarro in a memorandum about the centers.

There are already wellness centers set up at Northwood, Gaithersburg, Watkins Mill, Wheaton and Seneca Valley High Schools, and another is under construction at Kennedy High School. With this new funding, schools without a center will have one set up temporarily until the permanent space is constructed.

"This groundbreaking initiative would set up interim wellness centers immediately using existing spaces and relocatable classrooms as we work to stand up the permanent facilities over a five-year period,” said Navarro in a news release. “Today, I am proud of the full Council’s approval of the necessary funds for relocatable classrooms, retrofitting spaces, staff and other supports to install interim wellness centers in each MCPS high school. I look forward to working with my colleagues to put in place funding for the long term that implements permanent wellness centers in every high school.”

The council allocated $3 million to creating the "relocatable classrooms," $3 million to kick off mental health and positive youth development services in schools, and $2 million to expand the high school wellness centers, according to a council news release.

“We are encouraged by the opportunity to expand our wellness centers. This will provide MCPS with the ability to offer increased medical care and counseling so that our students can be more prepared to access the quality teaching and learning they deserve,” said Montgomery County Board of Education President Brenda Wolff.