Western Illinois University Receives $3.6M Grant for Rural School Mental Health

MACOMB — Western Illinois University’s psychology program is receiving a $3.6 million federal grant aimed at helping graduates launch their careers while expanding access to mental health services in rural school districts across the region.

The funding comes through the Mental Health Service Professionals Demonstration Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The multi-year grant is designed to strengthen the pipeline of trained mental health professionals and place them in high-need schools, particularly in rural areas that often struggle to recruit and retain school psychologists.

University officials say the grant will help students in WIU’s psychology program complete training, gain hands-on experience, and secure positions with rural school districts after graduation. The goal is to reduce long-standing gaps in student mental health support while also giving graduates a clearer pathway into the workforce.

Associate psychology professor Dr. Leigh Ann Fisler said the need is widespread, both locally and nationally. Many rural districts operate with extremely limited access to school psychologists, sometimes serving hundreds or even thousands of students with little or no in-house mental health support.

“In the partner schools that we are working to identify, a lot of them don’t have any school psychologists,” Fisler said. “Their ratios may be as high as one to 1,200 students, and in some cases they don’t have anyone currently in that position. Districts are often forced to rely on contract psychologists or telehealth services just to meet basic needs.”

Fisler said the program is currently evaluating 10 area school districts as potential partners, with the goal of placing trained professionals directly into schools where services are limited or unavailable. Those placements would allow students to receive more consistent, in-person mental health support while giving WIU graduates real-world experience in high-impact settings.

University leaders say the grant also reflects a growing recognition that student mental health is closely tied to academic success, attendance, and long-term outcomes. By strengthening mental health staffing in rural schools, the program aims to support both students and educators while easing pressure on districts facing staffing shortages.

The grant places Western Illinois University among a growing number of institutions nationwide working to expand school-based mental health services, particularly in underserved rural communities where access to care remains limited.