Senator Honig Helps Secure State Funding to Restore Student Mental Health Services in Litchfield County

Senator Paul Honig, D-Harwinton, released the following statement Monday after the state awarded an $830,000 grant to restore mental health services for thousands of students across 32 schools in Litchfield County:

“When the federal government broke its commitment to students in towns like Barkhamsted, Norfolk, and New Hartford, I knew Connecticut had to step up and restore this critical support,” Senator Honig said. “I’m proud we were able to act quickly to get these counselors back in our schools, providing frontline support for kids dealing with unprecedented challenges. Because Connecticut has been fiscally responsible, we had the resources available to preserve these services and I’m grateful to Governor Lamont for prioritizing Litchfield County kids.”

The state funding comes from a reserve fund created by the legislature during a special session last year to offset federal funding cuts. The federal grant, originally approved by Congress in 2022 as a five-year, $8.7 million commitment, was canceled last year by the U.S. Department of Education, well before its planned end date in December 2027.

EdAdvance, a nonprofit education service agency based in Litchfield, used the federal grant to hire 17 social workers who provided mental health services including classroom sessions on decision-making and social media awareness, as well as immediate intervention for students in crisis.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | hugh.mcquaid@cga.ct.gov