A state program meant to help students with mental health issues could be cut under Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget, but advocates are rallying to save it.

“Clearly it is a terrible move. It’s something that’s been relied on for so long,” says Dr. Richard Bozza, with the New Jersey Association of School Administrators.

Murphy’s proposed budget cuts $15 million for the School Based Youth Services Program.

“This program being cut means so many students will lose the ability to not only receive free tailored mental health services and treatment plans, but it also means that schools themselves lose the capacity that School Based Youth Services add to their district,” says Jian Bland, with group New Brunswick Tomorrow.

The program includes job readiness and help for teens to avoid pregnancy. In New Brunswick alone, the cuts mean that 20 therapists would lose their jobs.

“I’m absolutely heartbroken for my staff and my staff is then heartbroken for the children and the families who will miss these much-needed services, especially right now,” says Bland.

Bozza says that the cuts could have negative impact on the students who need the mental health services.

“I think that if they’ll be left alone, they may not be willing to go to personnel that they’re not comfortable with outside the school setting,” he says.

The state says that the service will be transferred to another program. The governor said that this is an “extraordinary challenging budget."

More than 20,000 signatures have been signed to a Change.org petition. They want the $15 million and the program restored. A virtual rally in support of the services is scheduled for Sept. 9 at 4 p.m.