H79SM088010

Creating Recovery-Oriented and Trauma- and Culture-Informed Schools in Bennett County, South Dakota: American Horse School Project AWARE - Summary: American Horse School AWARE will serve Native American K-8 students on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by implementing a school-based, recovery-oriented, tiered system of school- and community-based mental and behavioral health interventions. The project will provide counseling, cultural mentorship, suicide awareness and prevention, and related trainings to students, school staff, families, and members of the community.

Project Name: American Horse School Project AWARE
Population Served: Universal prevention services for Native American K-8 students, with tiered interventions for students experiencing trauma and related mental/behavioral health needs.

Strategies & Interventions: This project will equip students with the prevention, intervention, and postvention to promote recovery and reduce the prevalence and impact of trauma-induced mental and behavioral health challenges, substance use, and suicidality. This will be accomplished through school-based mental health counseling, behavioral health counseling; screening, third-party service referrals, and cultural mentorship; teacher and school staff training; and family and community member training. We will use evidence-based programming to promote positive behaviors among students, especially with curriculums and programs designed for use with Native American students. This includes the Reconnecting Youth, Healing Journey of the Canoe, and QPR, among other approaches.

All students will receive universal prevention services, and students screened and determined for higher tiers of service will receive individualized counseling plans and the support of a wraparound support specialist to provide coordinated care and community connections.

Project Goals & Objectives: Goals include (1) increase student access to trauma-informed, culturally-informed behavioral/mental health counseling by integrating services into their school environment, (2) increase knowledge of students, staff, families, and community members to identify, refer, and support students demonstrating behavioral/mental health consequences of trauma to promote positive youth development, and (3) increase student social and emotional competencies to decrease emotional challenges and negative behaviors among students by implementing school-based, trauma-informed, multi-tiered mental health and social emotional services. Objectives are aligned to each goal and are summarized herein:

(1A) Provision of individual and small group counseling for students identified at-risk for trauma-induced mental/behavioral health warning signs,
(1B) Establishment of a crisis response line for client students,
(1C) Rate of secured informed consent compared to total student body,
(2A) Rate of staff trained in universal trauma-informed mental health support each year,
(2B) Staff and community trainings about identifying at-risk warning signs, including of suicidal behavior,
(2C) Provision of universal prevention services,
(3A) Decreasing the rate of suicide attempts, and
(3B) Reducing the rate of negative behaviors in school occurring as a result of student trauma.

Number of Individuals Served: This project will serve 650 unduplicated individuals throughout the five-year project period (199 in year 1, 226 in year 2, and 75 each year in years 3, 4, and 5) including children, youth, school staff members, and members of the community. Throughout the entire project, including retrainings (duplicated services on a year-over-year basis), the project will serve 1,900 total individuals.

American Horse School

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]

South Dakota United States

State-Wide

Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) Program (SM-23-001)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 428% from $1,248,223 to $6,591,089.