The Partnership Will Facilitate Free Access to Mental Health Services for over 40,000 Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness in the State.
eLuma, a leading teletherapy provider of end-to-end student services for mental health and special education, announces its partnership with The Bridge Project in Pennsylvania to provide critical online mental health services to children and youth experiencing homelessness. During the 2021-22 school year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) identified more than 40,000 children and youth experiencing homelessness in the state. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act defines “homeless children and youths” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
The Bridge Project is part of Pennsylvania’s American Rescue Plan Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) Program and facilitates free access to mental health services for children and youth experiencing homelessness.
Students who qualify for care will have the opportunity to participate in online therapy with eLuma and Move Forward Counseling during daytime school hours on weekdays free of charge. Immediate family members and any family members directly involved in the care or education of an eligible student may also be entitled to mental health services.
eLuma’s services will be available for eligible students in four of the state’s eight regions as mapped by Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH). The coverage area includes Allegheny County, which reported over 1000 youth experiencing homelessness in January 2024, and accounts for nearly 3.4 million people.
“As the student mental health crisis reaches new levels, too many children in Pennsylvania and across the country are left without the mental health services they desperately need,” said Andy Myers, CEO at eLuma. “This partnership is a big step toward achieving eLuma’s mission of helping all students achieve their potential.”
To learn more about the program and for eligibility information, please visit https://ecyehpennsylvania.center-school.org/the-bridge-project-in-pa/.
The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
- American Consortium for Equity in Educationhttps://ace-ed.org/author/admin/
