Tulare County, in California's Central Valley, struggles with very high poverty rates and youth mental health issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic. It also has one of the lowest numbers of school mental health workers in the state.

So now the county is giving internships to graduate students in social work and placing them in schools, in an effort to tackle the shortage.

How can this strategy help students? What challenges do school social workers face in counties like Tulare?

Guests:

Read more from EdSource: Tackling the student mental health crisis in rural Central Valley

Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.