The William & Mary School of Education has been awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support its psychology program. The five-year grant aims to tackle two pressing issues in education today—the growing youth mental health crisis and the shortage of school psychologists.
This initiative, called Project TEAMS (Training Empowered Advocates for Mental Health in Schools), is designed to recruit and train diverse candidates to become school psychologists. It also allocates funds to provide mental health services for K-12 students and offers professional development opportunities to retain school psychologists in their roles. The program will run from 2025 to 2029.
What Makes School Psychologists Vital
School psychologists play a critical role in student mental health. They go beyond the work of school counselors by conducting specialized assessments and evaluations, often shaping individualized education plans tailored to students’ academic and emotional needs.
Leandra Parris, associate professor and grant lead for Project TEAMS, emphasized the importance of increasing diversity in the profession, saying, “If we’re going to serve the mental health needs of underserved children, then we need school psychologists who represent them.”
Another key figure in the project is Janise Parker, associate professor of school psychology. Reflecting on her own upbringing, Parker shared, “Because of my identities, I did have some challenges in terms of accessing different resources growing up.” She credits the social and emotional support she received from teachers and counselors as the inspiration behind her work. “It is my life experiences that have really fueled my passion to go back and do the same for K-12 kids who are from historically excluded and underserved backgrounds,” she said.
Partnering with the Community
The university is collaborating with school divisions in Newport News, Norfolk, and Chesapeake as part of this initiative. Consultants from Hampton University are also contributing to the project team.
Virginia currently faces a significant gap in school psychologist staffing, with just one psychologist for every 1,623 students—far above the recommended ratio of one per 500 students. The numbers are even more challenging in some of the partnering school divisions.
Building the Future Workforce
To address this issue, Project TEAMS aims to recruit undergraduate students from Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Hampton University, and Virginia Peninsula Community College. The project is also reaching out to educators already working in local school divisions who are interested in transitioning into the field of psychology. Application fees will be waived, and partnerships with school divisions will help candidates remain at least partially employed as they work toward their degrees. Priority will be given to individuals who are committed to staying in the community and serving local students.
Additionally, the project will focus on professional development for current school psychologists, including crisis training, to help improve retention rates.
Engaging the Next Generation
One of the unique elements of Project TEAMS is its plan to place interns in schools. These placements will enable interns to provide social and emotional support to students while receiving guidance from William & Mary faculty. This hands-on experience serves as both a recruitment tool and an opportunity to ignite undergraduate interest in school psychology careers.
With this ambitious approach, Project TEAMS hopes to address urgent mental health needs in schools while building a highly qualified and diverse workforce of school psychologists. By fostering partnerships within the community and providing meaningful opportunities for students and educators alike, William & Mary is setting a benchmark for addressing the mental health crisis through education and innovation.