Saterah Bigham, a psychologist with Birmingham City Schools (BCS), says she has seen an increase in mental health needs for students.

Since the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, “community violence and adverse childhood experiences have profoundly impacted students’ emotional, psychological and social well-being,” she said recently during a ceremony where BCS accepted a $3.1 million federal grant to expand mental health services.

Bigham, who helped write the grant, said, “in writing this proposal, it was truly difficult to capture the magnitude of trauma that students face. In recognizing this urgent need, the school-based mental health grant aims to increase the number of mental health credentialed individuals working in the district and to also increase the number of students receiving critical mental health services.”

Bigham, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, and BCS Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan were all at A.H. Parker High School recently to announce the funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

“I believe it’s a public health crisis and one that demands our immediate action, and that is exactly what we’re doing here today,” Sewell said. “I am proud to represent over 100,000 children, and it is among my top priorities to safeguard, to ensure their well-being especially in the classroom.”

With the five-year grant, BCS will hire 22 credentialed mental health service providers as well as be able to partner in contract services with three community mental health service agencies.

“In Birmingham City Schools, we focus on equipping all scholars for success,” Sullivan said. “In our current post-COVID environment, this means we must meet the needs of the total child. This school-based mental health grant will help us provide much-needed services and support for all our students.”

Being the product of two lifelong educators as parents, Sewell said the issue is personal to her.

“I believe that there is no higher calling than nurturing the next generation of leaders … This project will help bring more mental health professionals to our schools and reduce financial barriers to mental health services for students who need them,” she said. “It will also expand professional development opportunities and help us to recruit and train mental health professionals from diverse backgrounds.”

A version of this article was originally published by The Birmingham Times.