The U.S. Department of Education awarded a $3 million grant to the William & Mary School of Education for its psychology program. The five-year grant supports Project TEAMS, which addresses the youth mental health crisis and school psychologist workforce shortage.
The project – Training Empowered Advocates for Mental Health in Schools – involves recruiting diverse candidates to train as school psychologists in local chapters. The grant also funds mental health services for K-12 students and professional development to keep psychologists working in schools. It runs from 2025 to 2029.
School psychologists provide more targeted mental health support than school counselors, including conducting assessments and evaluations that can help develop individualized education plans.
Leandra Parris, associate professor of school psychology, leads the grant. Parris said a big part of the project is diversifying the workforce and recruiting from historically excluded communities.
“If we want to meet the mental health needs of disadvantaged children, we need school psychologists to represent them,” she said.
Janise Parker, also an associate professor of school psychology, is part of the leadership team. She talked about her experiences, including an early childhood in a low-income household, is one of the driving forces behind her work.
“Because of my identity, I had some challenges growing up in terms of accessing different resources,” she said.
However, the social and emotional support from teachers and counselors made her understand the power of school-based services.
“It’s my life experiences that really fueled my passion to go back and do the same for K-12 children who have been historically excluded and disadvantaged,” Parker said.
The university partners with Newport News, Norfolk and Chesapeake schools. Consultants from Hampton University are also on the grant team.
In Virginia, the ratio of school psychologists to students is one for every 1,623 students, which is much higher than the recommended ratio for every 500. Parris said that number is even higher for some of the partner divisions.
The project will reach students at Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Hampton University and Virginia Peninsula Community College. It will also recruit faculty from local departments interested in the field, waive application fees and work with school divisions to help candidates remain at least partially employed while pursuing their degrees. Applicants interested in remaining in the community and serving local students will be given priority.
The grant team will also offer professional development for existing staff, including crisis training, to increase retention.
The initiative will also place interns in schools to provide social and emotional support and mentoring under the guidance of W&M faculty. This will also serve as a recruitment tool to increase student interest through hands-on opportunities.
Nour Habib, nour.habib@virginiamedia.com
