RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces New Action to Fight Back Against Trump’s Cuts to Youth Mental Health Funding

Above: Gottheimer announces new action to support youth mental health at Fort Lee School No. 4.

FORT LEE, NJ — Today, May 15, 2025, during Mental Health Awareness Month, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Fort Lee School No. 4 to announce new legislation aimed at strengthening school mental health programs and addressing the growing youth mental health crisis in New Jersey and across the country.

Gottheimer’s announcement follows the Trump Administration’s decisionto cut $1 billion in federal funding for school mental health programs — critical dollars used to hire psychologists, counselors, and support staff in schools. As a direct result of these cuts, the New Jersey Department of Education will be forced to end its five-year plan to expand access to mental health professionals, a program that had already reached more than 40,000 students and helped hire 68 school-based mental health professionals over just two years.

A recording of the announcement can be found here.

“Here in Jersey, and across the country, too many of our kids are facing a mental health crisis. We can get kids the help they need, but we must make the investments necessary to do it,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “For some reason, the Trump Administration doesn’t see it that way. Instead, they cut one billion dollars in funding from the Department of Education that helps our schools hire more psychologists, counselors, and other mental health workers who support struggling students. These are critical, lifesaving investments I helped claw back and secure for Jersey.”

Gottheimer continued, “If we’re smart and make strategic investments instead of slashing critical programs with no strategy, we can get our children the help they need, and it’ll make a world of difference for our students and families. This should not be partisan, it’s just common sense. Investing in these resources is not just the right thing to do for our children’s health and wellness, but they are key to our long-term competitiveness as a nation.” 

NJ Students Facing Mental Health Crisis:

• According to the CDC, 40% of high school students in grades nine through twelve experience depression, with nearly 10% attempting suicide.
  • One in seven children ages 3 to 17 is diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health condition. 
  • According to the New Jersey Department of Health, suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 10 and 24 in New Jersey. 
  • 37% of students with a mental health condition aged 14 and older drop out of school.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a historic wave of mental health challenges, including a 25% higher rate of anxiety and depression, with many students still feeling the effects. 
• The National Association of School Psychologists recommends that schools have a maximum student-to-school counselor ratio of 250 to 1 and a maximum student-to-school psychologist ratio of 500 to 1.
  • Jersey’s student-to-school-psychologist ratio of 659 to 1 does not come close to that recommendation. 
  • The national average student-to-school-psychologist ratio is more than twice the recommended amount, at 1,162 to 1. 
• Those with access to mental health services in school are 10 times more likely to seek care for mental health or substance abuse than those without access.

Gottheimer’s “Youth Mental Health Strategy”:

• First, Gottheimer is introducing the Training Our Future Act to combat the school psychologist shortage in Jersey and across the country.
  • Gottheimer’s bill would create a national grant program to provide up to $8,000 a year to students studying to become school psychologists. 
  • The legislation will require students to work at schools struggling to meet the recommended student-to-school psychologist ratio for at least four years once they graduate.
• Second, Gottheimer is introducing the Saving Students with Software Act to help schools cover the cost of life-saving suicide prevention software.
  • Suicide prevention software can track potentially dangerous messages or searches students make online, which can then prompt calls to parents or home visits by school staff members.
• Gottheimer is supporting the Youth Mental Health Research Act to secure an annual $100 million investment in new mental health treatments.
• Gottheimer is leading 20 of his colleagues in Congress in a letter to the House Appropriations Committee fighting to secure the highest possible level of funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the next fiscal year’s budget. 

Gottheimer was joined by Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, Fort Lee Councilman Harvey Sohmer, Fort Lee Superintendent Dr. Robert Kravibitz, Fort Lee Assistant Superintendent Diane Collazo-Baker, Caleb Herbst of the NJ Department of Education, and Fort Lee Board of Education Members Mike Reubino and Doug Lopez. 

Below: Gottheimer announces “Youth Mental Health Strategy” to protect students.

Gottheimer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good morning. It’s great to be back in Fort Lee, where, right here, during Mental Health Awareness Month, our great educators work hard every day to support our children and put them on a path to success. And, as the son of a teacher, I know how much they sacrifice to do just that. 

So, when you look at the beaming smiles on the young faces here at this elementary school, you’re reminded of just how important it is to invest in our future. 

But, here in Jersey, and across the country, too many of our kids are facing a mental health crisis. According to the CDC, one in seven children ages three through seventeen are diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health condition. 

Forty percent of high school students in grades nine through twelve experience depression, with nearly ten percent attempting suicide. And, according to the New Jersey Department of Health, suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 10 and 24 here in the Garden State. These aren’t just numbers — these are our kids, our neighbors, and our future.  

It’s tough to be a kid right now, with so much coming at you, how they interact, online, social media — an overload of information.

Then came the pandemic. Over the COVID-19 years, we saw a historic wave of mental health challenges, including a 25 percent higher rate of anxiety and depression, with many of our students still feeling the effects. The pandemic completely disrupted their routines and kept them out of the classroom, away from seeing their friends, exploring hobbies, and playing on their sports teams.

Today, 37 percent of students with a mental health condition aged 14 and older drop out of school — the highest school dropout rate of any disability group. In 2023, Surgeon General Murthy even declared youth mental health a national crisis.

And then there’s the challenge of having enough medical care to handle this huge surge — we are short beds and doctors to help all across the state. There’s a historic low of beds.

We know that those with access to mental health services in school are 10 times more likely to seek care for mental health or substance abuse than those without access. We can get kids the help they need, but we must make the investments necessary to do it. Yet, somehow, for some reason, the Trump Administration doesn’t see it that way. Instead, they cut one billion dollars in funding from the Department of Education that helps our schools hire more psychologists, counselors, and other mental health workers who support struggling students. These are critical, lifesaving investments I helped claw back and secure for Jersey as a part of the bipartisan Safer Communities Act. 

That was the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades, which I helped pass and get signed into law after the tragic mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. A key part of it helps address the rising mental health crisis impacting our students. And, these investments have had broad bipartisan support, from both Democrats and Republicans, in the years since. These federal dollars expanded available mental health services to more than 40,000 students here in Jersey, helping to hire 68 new school-based mental health professionals over the course of two school years. 

The New Jersey Department of Education is in year three of their five-year implementation plan, including investing 15 million dollars to expand access to mental health professionals in our schools. Now, the Trump Administration is forcing our state to end this program two years early. And, far-right extremists are even trying to make things worse by completely gutting funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, that works to promote access to suicide prevention and mental health services, including to children, youth, and their families. 

These are not just cuts to programs; extremists want to actually eliminate the agency responsible for providing mental health support to Jersey youth and families. What a joke.

And how do extremists justify cutting critical support for struggling children? They said it was a priority of the past Administration, but it’s not a priority for President Trump. Well, the health and safety of our children are a priority to me, and to those standing here today. That’s why I am announcing new action to fight back against these cuts, and to support our children’s mental health to ensure they can receive the resources they need to learn and thrive.

To ensure every student has dedicated professionals ready to help them, many leading organizations, including the National Association of School Psychologists, recommend that schools have a maximum student-to-school counselor or student-to-social worker ratio of 250 to 1, and a maximum student-to-school psychologist ratio of 500 to 1. But most states, including Jersey, with a ratio of 659 to 1, do not even come close to that. In fact, the national average student-to-school-psychologist ratio is more than twice the recommended amount — at 1,162 to 1.

At the state level, our fantastic Assemblymembers, Lisa Swain and Christopher Tully, have introduced legislation to cap the ratio at Jersey schools at the NASP-recommended amounts. But, as Lisa and Chris have pointed out, we simply do not have enough school psychologists across the country to fill these positions, which is why Trump cutting funding to enable school districts to hire more is so insane. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, Jersey will need to hire 63,000 more school psychologists to meet recommended levels.

And, these health professionals don’t just help with chronic issues either. They provide support when there’s a tragic death in the family or for victims of bullying, which we are seeing hit record levels. It’s not all doom and gloom. Now, for some goods news. If we’re smart and make strategic investments instead of slashing critical programs with no strategy, we can get our children the help they need, and it’ll make a world of difference for our students and families. That’s why, with May being Mental Health Awareness Month, I am announcing new action today as part of my “Youth Mental Health Strategy.”

First, I want to be very clear: asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. And we must have trained professionals available to help any struggling child who needs them. But, as I mentioned, we have a shortage of school psychologists. That’s why I am introducing the Preparing for the Futures Act to create a national grant program to provide up to $8,000 a year to students studying to become school psychologists. This will also help address the school psychologist shortage in Jersey, by requiring these students to work at schools struggling to meet the recommended student-to-school psychologist ratio for at least four years once they graduate.

Second, with students spending more time online with school devices, we need to ensure that what they are doing is safe. Thankfully, we now have suicide prevention software that can track potentially dangerous messages or searches students make online, which can then prompt calls to parents or even home visits by school staff members. This technology is already saving lives. But, the cost can prevent too many schools from having it. 

So, I’ll also be introducing the Saving Students with Software Act to help schools cover the costs of this life-saving technology. By getting more of this software in our schools, we will be better prepared to respond immediately to help any student facing a mental health crisis.

And, I am actively backing the Youth Mental Health Research Act to secure an annual 100 million dollar investment in new mental health treatments.

We also know that those struggling with mental health issues and who lack the proper access to care are more susceptible to drug and opioid addiction. That’s why I am leading the charge in Congress — with 20 of my colleagues — to secure the highest possible level of funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in this next fiscal year’s budget. We need to invest — not slash — this agency so it can continue to prevent substance abuse, enhance access to suicide prevention and mental health services, and save lives.

I’ve also helped introduce the bipartisan Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act to cover up to 50 percent of attendance costs for graduate students looking to become school counselors, so that students in North Jersey and nationwide can get the support they need. 

And, I previously led bipartisan, bicameral legislation with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the Student Athlete Opioid Prevention Act, to help combat the scourge of our time: opioid misuse, abuse, and death among young people in our schools and across our country. This would deploy new federal investment to educate students and young athletes, while training coaches and educators on the signs — and dangers — of opioid and substance abuse, including key strategies for prevention.

We all know that if we invest in our children when they are young, from childcare centers, to pre-school, to kindergarten on, it will pay long-term dividends for us and for our country. President Trump should not be slashing funding for mental health services in our schools. All those resources? Gone. It’s reckless and absolutely ridiculous. This should not be partisan, it’s just common sense. Investing in these resources is not just the right thing to do for our children’s health and wellness, but they are key to our long-term competitiveness as a nation.  

In the greatest country in the world, if we work together, and put the health of our kids first, we can solve this problem, and I know that our best days will always be ahead of us.

Thank you. God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

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