GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ACTION ALERT
October 19, 2001
Action Needed on Funding for School Counseling Program
Legislative activity on Capitol Hill has been progressing in fits and starts since September 11, 2001. The primary focus, of course, has been on proposals directly related to the terrorist attacks. President Bush has continued to pressure congressional leaders to complete work on the education bill, but it is not at all clear if even a genuine desire to finalize the No Child Left Behind Act (H.R. 1) will be sufficient to ensure enactment before the end of the session. Exactly when the session will end is also unclear. Most observers believe a Thanksgiving adjournment is the most likely, but security concerns and the need for further congressional action may well mean either an earlier or later departure.
APPROPRIATIONS
In the meantime, the FY 2002 appropriations process continues. Congress has passed several consolidated continuing appropriations bills to keep programs operating after the new fiscal year (FY 2002) began on October 1, 2001 and they are continuing to work on enacting all 13 separate appropriations bills prior to adjournment.
Of greatest concern to the school social work community is the appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education. The House passed its FY 2002 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (H.R. 3061) the week of October 8. The Senate bill (S. 1536) is awaiting floor action.
Both bills contain funding for the Elementary School Counseling Program for the new fiscal year -- the House bill provides $30 million and the Senate bill provides $35 million. At the $30 million level, all current grantees would receive another year of funding, but no new grants would be awarded. At the $35 million level, all current grantees would receive another year of funding, and approximately 15 new grants could be awarded. For a fact sheet on the program, please see www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/updates/072601.htm.
ACTION NEEDED
Contacts are needed -- particularly with Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, who will make the decision on the final funding level for the program. Please use the following links for Committee contacts. House Appropriations Committee: www.house.gov/appropriations/members.htm. Senate Appropriations Committee: www.senate.gov/~appropriations/sac107.pdf. Contact information on your own Senators and Representatives is also available via NASW's Congress Web program: www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/congressweb.htm.
Contacts made with Representatives and Senators who are not Members of the Appropriations Committees should encourage them to speak with Appropriations Committee Members about the need for more funding for the program.
THE MESSAGE
NASW is urging Appropriations Committee Members to accept -- at a minimum -- the $35 million in the Senate bill. The U.S. Department of Education has awarded special grants to school districts directly affected by the September 11 attacks in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland to help them provide additional crisis counseling, which is appreciated. However, as the experiences from Columbine High School and Oklahoma City have shown, many students both directly and indirectly affected by the attacks will need a variety of counseling services weeks and even months from now.
Here is an excerpt from NASW's letter to serve as an example for your own message.
NASW urges appropriators to accept -- at a minimum -- the Senate-passed amount of $35 million for the Elementary School Counseling Program and to seriously consider increasing the amount, particularly if additional funding for education becomes available. The House bill included only $30 million, which would not allow for any additional grants to be made. The program currently funds projects in only 89 school districts out of close to 16,000. An extra $5 million would allow approximately 15 additional districts to participate.
The Elementary School Counseling Program is a discretionary grant program that assists local school districts in creating or expanding comprehensive counseling programs designed to remove educational barriers so students can concentrate on learning. It is a proven program that has shown impressive results. Examples of success stories among the first-year grantees (FY 2000) include:
- Bowling Green, Kentucky: The number of suspended pupils declined from an average of 21 pupils a month in August to 11 in February. More pupils also are attending school and performing better in classes.
- Irmo, South Carolina: The focus on behavioral management has increased safety and decreased conflict within the schools. There are also definite increases in school attendance and significant improvement in students' grades.
- Rosemount, Minnesota: The district has implemented a broad program of prevention, student support, and intervention to address a wide spectrum of problems, including absenteeism, poor social skills, inability to identify and express emotion, aggression, bereavement, low self-esteem, anxiety, suicide, depression, and families in crisis. The program coordinator calls it a "stunning success."
Since September 11, students, along with their parents and teachers, have been struggling to overcome a wide range of emotions and reactions. NASW supports the use of emergency funds to assist school districts in helping students cope. But we also know from experience at Columbine High School and in Oklahoma City, that some students will need help weeks and even months from now. Increasing funding for the Elementary School Counseling Program will help to ensure that services are available to more students when they need them.
AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY!
TAKE ACTION NOW
