H79SM085329

Oklahoma Aware South - The Oklahoma State Department of Education, in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, will address the mental health of children, youth, families, and communities by coordinating and integrating mental health services to 15,212 students per year enrolled in three high-need LEAs (32 school sites) including Lawton, Davis, and Sulphur Public Schools in south-central Oklahoma.

The LEAs have been targeted based on their lack of mental health service availability and access, their high incidence of suicide attempts and ideation, and multiple high-risk factors such as high minority populations (predominantly American Indian students), chronic absenteeism, and access and availability of drugs and alcohol.

The project goals are to:
1. Provide training for school personnel and others who interact with school-aged youth to detect and respond to mental health issues.
2. Improve student discipline.
3. Build a comprehensive mental health infrastructure and conduct outreach and engagement with school-aged youth, families, and the community to increase awareness and identification, and increase needed services.

The objectives include a minimum of 15 hours of mental health professional development for teachers per year, a decrease in student discipline and suspensions, and an increase in positive responses to tiered intervention supports for students.

The project will provide statewide services such as trauma-informed training and the development of an Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF), a coordinated system of resources, stakeholders, and partnerships so LEAs can support all students by working together. The ISF is an implementation framework developed by national leaders in the field of school mental health and academic support to advance a more effective and efficient system of social-emotional, behavioral health, and academic success.

LEA services will include the hiring of licensed counseling staff to provide intervention support to students, community, student, and parent engagement activities led by a community manager, professional development in creating a multi-tiered system of support for mental health services to students, universal mental health screenings for all students, and prevention and intervention mental health services.

Evidence-based training that will be provided to teachers, mental health staff, youth, and members of the community will include the PAX Good Behavior Game, Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress, and Mental Health First Aid training for adults and youth.

In addition, mental health intervention teams in each LEA will utilize formal processes for selecting a continuum of additional evidence-based programs based on the likelihood of desired impact on identified needs.

Oklahoma Department Of Education

SAMHSA WAS GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS PRIORITY SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH ASSISTANCE (GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS) TO STATES, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF STATES, INDIAN TRIBES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER PUBLIC OR NONPROFIT PRIVATE ENTITIES. UNDER THESE SECTIONS, CSAT, CMHS AND CSAP SEEK TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF EFFECTIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SERVICES AVAILABLE TO AMERICANS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDITIONS, AND TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE ON INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETIES AND TO ADDRESS PRIORITY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE AND ASSIST CHILDREN IN DEALING WITH VIOLENCE AND TRAUMATIC EVENTS THROUGH BY FUNDING GRANT AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROJECTS. GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS MAY BE FOR (1) KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION PROJECTS FOR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION AND THE CONDUCT OR SUPPORT OF EVALUATIONS OF SUCH PROJECTS, (2) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, (3) TARGETED CAPACITY RESPONSE PROGRAMS (4) SYSTEMS CHANGE GRANTS INCLUDING STATEWIDE FAMILY NETWORK GRANTS AND CLIENT-ORIENTED AND CONSUMER RUN SELF-HELP ACTIVITIES AND (5) PROGRAMS TO FOSTER HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN, (6) COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF PRIMARY CARE SERVICES INTO PUBLICLY-FUNDED COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SETTINGS

93.243 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance

Division of Grants Management [HHS - SAMHSA]

Oklahoma United States

State-Wide

Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) State Education Agency Grants (SM-21-006)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 300% from $1,798,523 to $7,194,092.