The Georgia Department of Education has partnered with the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement to provide training in grief support. The center is working with a handful of school districts around the country, including Chattooga County.

Mental health needs are stretching Georgia’s already understaffed schools, which have one psychologist for every 6,390 K-12 students, according to a February report by the Hopeful Futures Campaign.

The recommendation is one psychologist for every 500 students. School counselors, who provide short-term counseling and crisis intervention, are also understaffed, with one per 447 students when the recommendation is one per 250.

The collaborative effort between the Georgia Department of Education and the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement was initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide training for mental health counselors.