Get Involved! Federal Relations Action Alert 

Urge Your Senators and Representatives to Support the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program!

THE ISSUE AT HAND

Congress failed to pass eleven of the thirteen appropriations bills needed to fund the federal government in FY03 before adjourning in December.  Therefore, the Senate and House Appropriations Committees are currently working to devise and pass an omnibus bill that will include funding for all of the non-military/defense programs in FY03 before the end of January.  Due to President Bush’s request that federal spending for domestic programs be kept to a minimum, there is a good chance that the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program will be cut from the FY03 budget.

ACTION NEEDED

Please call your Representative and Senators by dialing the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121 (you may also find their numbers at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov) and ask to speak to the Member who represents you.  Once you’ve reached that office, ask for the Legislative Assistant who handles appropriations issues.  Let this person know that as a constituent and member of NASW, you want your Representative/Senator to support the inclusion of the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program in the upcoming omnibus bill.  Let the staff know how important this program is to the students in the Member’s district—adequate access to school counseling services, which are often provided by school social workers, is proven to help improve student’s academic achievement and school safety.

BACKGROUND

The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP), formerly known as the Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program, is a discretionary grant program that provides grants to school districts to establish or expand comprehensive counseling programs and mental health services through qualified school social workers, school psychologists, and school counselors. 

The ESSCP was reauthorized as part of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002.  While the reauthorization expanded the program to include secondary schools, it also included a funding trigger.  This funding trigger requires that the program be funded at over $40 million before secondary schools can participate.

For more information, please contact Ann Bradford, NASW Government Relations, at abradford@naswdc.org or (202) 336-8237.