Florida News Connection
BY: Trimmel Gomes
Florida schools still face critical mental health staffing shortages with less than 25% of needed psychologists in place, despite expanding telemental health programs.
A new national School Mental Health Report Card from the advocacy group Inseparable showed the state lags in early intervention and staffing ratios, even as state lawmakers work to address the issue.
Rep. Christine Hunchofsky, D-Parkland, helped pass a law requiring mental-health coordinators in every district to address gaps in student care.
"It's really about a coordinated effort," Hunchofsky explained. "Making sure everybody's talking to each other so that we can do the best we can to make sure our students get the services they need, especially if they are struggling."
Despite 90% of Florida voters supporting expanded school mental health services in recent polling, challenges persist. The report shows Florida has made progress in areas such as excused mental health absences and teacher training but joins all other states in failing to meet all 13 recommended policy targets.
The report highlighted acute challenges for Florida's rural schools, where mental health access lags behind urban districts.
Caitlin Hochul, vice president of public policy for Inseparable, cited a proven solution other states have adopted.
"One of the most effective things states can be doing is expanding Medicaid to cover all eligible students and providing mental health services to all of those Medicaid-eligible students," Hochul emphasized. "That can help states draw down some federal dollars."
While 34 states and Washington D.C. have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, including Republican-led states such as Arkansas and Arizona, the Sunshine State continues to forgo
nearly $6 billion in annual federal funding, which could support school mental health programs, according to 2025 estimates from the Florida Policy Institute.
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