Nearly $5 million in federal funding is being cut off to joint programs of Heritage University and Yakima-based Educational Service District (ESD) 105 to train and place school-based mental health providers. 

The university and educational agency recently received notice that the U.S. Department of Education is discontinuing the $2.4 million it provided annually to support the Yakima Valley Grow Your Own Consortium and master’s degrees in mental health counseling, according to a release. The programs, for students pursuing a master’s in social work or master’s in mental health counseling, were expected to receive that funding through December 2027. 

A handful of Heritage students enrolled in the programs live in the Tri-Cities. 

University and ESD officials are appealing the decision while also supporting current students and searching for alternative funding sources and additional partnerships. 

“Heritage University is fully committed to maintaining the master’s of social work and master’s of mental health counseling degree programs,” said Andrew Sund, Heritage’s recently appointed president, in a statement. “The loss of this funding will make it more challenging for us to gain access to highly skilled school-based supervision for placements. We will also see fewer school-based practitioners to meet the needs of the local school districts.” 

Youth mental health has been an emphasis for education officials since the Covid-19 pandemic. The state’s 2022 Healthy Youth Survey indicated 14.2% of eighth-graders in the Yakima Valley reported not feeling hopeful, and 12.8% had attempted suicide in the past year, significantly higher than state averages. 

At the same time, the school counselor-to-student ratio in several area districts exceeds 1:1,000, with some districts employing no school social workers at all. The recommended national ratio for school counselors is 250:1.