Advocates are making a last-minute plea to Peoria Unified Board President Becky Proudfit to change her position and extend a federal mental health grant.
PEORIA, Ariz. — ASU sophomore Olivia Dalley appears to have it all together. She is scheduled to graduate in three years and excels in her classes at the W.P. Carey School of Business.
But looks can deceive.
Dalley describes her adolescence as a time of wild mood swings, depression, suicidal thoughts and emergency trips to the hospital. She credits on-campus social workers at her high school for helping her survive.
“For me, they were like my parents when my parents couldn’t be there,” Dalley said.
Those social workers now face an uncertain future after a vote last week at the Peoria Unified School Board meeting.
“It breaks my heart that future kids might not be able to have the same support I had,” Dalley said.
Social worker program began after Parkland shooting
Growing up, Dalley suffered from …