H79SM087492

Help Is Down the Hall: A Sustainable School-Based Mental Health Model - The Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Project AWARE - "Help Is Down the Hall: A Sustainable School-Based Mental Health Model" is committed to developing and sustaining infrastructure for school-based mental health programs and services. The Washington Project AWARE initiative proposes to enhance existing collaborative partnerships between state and regional systems to promote the healthy development of school-aged youth and to prevent youth violence through an integrated tiered school-based mental health (SBMH) service delivery model that is recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity-based.

The overarching goals of the project are to:

1) Increase awareness of behavioral health issues among school-age youth, school staff, and families by growing mental health literacy and fostering resilience through culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate, and trauma-informed training and de-stigmatization efforts.
2) Increase access and connect youth and families to integrated school-based behavioral health services and supports.
3) Implement policy to enhance school supports that promote and sustain healthy social and emotional development of school-aged youth.

The population served through this initiative is K-12 students and school staff in three regions in Washington State, including Educational Service District 112 (Southwest), Educational Service District 105 (Central), and Spokane Public Schools (Northeast). These local education agencies (LEAs) serve nearly 200,000 students in 56 public school districts, representing a broad and diverse student population. Data indicate considerable mental health-related issues among these populations, including 35% to 40% of youth across the three LEAs reporting current depression, and 16% to 22% having contemplated suicide in the past year (HYS, 2021).

The LEAs included in this proposal are strategically ready to advance school-based mental health support systems in Washington by having integrated licensed behavioral health agencies within their core service delivery systems. This regional service delivery model will allow for quick launch and placement of licensed mental health staff, accustomed to providing school-based supports, and allowing for sustainability to be a focal point from day one of the project.

Project activities will include conduct of LEA needs assessments, use of the SHAPE system, training and awareness activities, including targeted destigmatization efforts, and a focus on youth safety and wellness including trainings in Hazelden's Lifelines Suicide Prevention Curriculum. Through the SBMH systems framework, LEA-employed MH therapists will work in collaboration with school staff to assess, refer, triage, case manage, provide treatment, and monitor student progress. School staff, with support from the LEA project managers, will deliver universal/tier 1 supports, while SBMH therapists, in coordination with existing school staff, will deliver tier 2 and tier 3 services. SBMH therapists will be embedded into the school system delivering MH services that are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and equity-based.

To meet project goals, objectives will measure the implementation of universal/tier 1 best practices; the number of trauma-informed and resilience-focused social emotional learning professional development opportunities offered; and the number of mental health prevention and awareness trainings (Goal One). The implementation of early intervention and treatment best practices will also be measured, including the number of youth screened, referred, and engaged in SBMH services (Goal Two). Additionally, the number of policy changes implemented because of this funding, as well as the number of schools that adopt and implement suicide awareness and prevention training policy, will be tracked (Goal Three).

Across the three LEAs, the project will serve nearly 24,000 school-aged children and their families.

Washington State Superintendent Of Public Instruction

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]

Washington United States

State-Wide

Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) (SM-22-018)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 12/30/26 to 09/29/26 and the total obligations have increased 50% from $3,599,982 to $5,399,879.