H79SM088346

Project Aware Newark - Newark Public Schools/Newark Board of Education (NBOE)* is New Jersey's largest school district serving one of the most racially and ethnically diverse and under-resourced communities in the state.

Students and families in NBOE experience significant inequities across all social determinants of health including lack of access to vital health, mental health, economic, and social/community resources. NBOE staff recognize the need to create an affirming, equitable, culturally- and linguistically-relevant, trauma-informed learning environment to promote the wellness and resilience of their students.

Therefore, Project Aware Newark will enhance equitable access, experiences, and outcomes for students (37,911 Year 1; 47,000 unduplicated students Years 2-5 in 64 schools), including those from historically underserved racial/ethnic communities, LGBTQI+ students, and students with serious emotional disturbance/serious mental illness (SED/SMI).

Strategies/interventions: NBOE will deepen their relationship with the NJ SEA, NJ SMHA, and Newark community mental health agencies to build a comprehensive tiered system of equitable mental health supports. Equity will be embedded in a research-based tiered system of supports.

Specifically, Tier 1 - a culturally aligned, affirming socio-emotional universal curriculum will be implemented and all students will access, including students with SED/SMI. Resources will be dedicated to promoting empowering messaging through school assemblies and to safe spaces such as after-school clubs that promote affinity groups for historically marginalized youth.

Tiers 2 & 3 - partnerships with various community organizations specializing in mental health will bring in school-based mental health clinicians trained on how to provide affirming small group and individual mental health care for LGBTQI+ youth, SED/SMI youth, and youth from historically underserved racial/ethnic communities.

Research-based wellness and resilience interventions that will be implemented include: Sources of Strength, Question. Persuade. Refer, Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Signs of Suicide.

Project goals and measurable objectives: There are 18 goals and 71 objectives for Project Aware Newark.

Goal 1: Increase access to mental health services for youth with and without SED/SMI.
Goal 2: Establish collaborative community relationships through a Newark Aware Advisory Board.
Goal 3: Conduct a mental health needs assessment.
Goal 4: Develop an implementation plan for a three-tiered system of supports.
Goal 5: Implement a socio-emotional learning curriculum.
Goal 6: Establish a safe and empowering school climate for marginalized youth.
Goal 7: Establish a suicide awareness training policy and program.
Goal 8: Implement prevention program for suicide and substance use.
Goal 9: Train adults on mental health awareness, literacy, signs/symptoms, and referrals.
Goal 10: Implement a school safety and violence prevention program.
Goal 11: Implement Tier 1 & 2 screening for students.
Goal 12: Implement Tier 2 mental health services.
Goal 13: Establish a referral pathway for mental health supports for all youth.
Goal 14: Establish a research-based crisis intervention and de-escalation response plan for students with severe behaviors.
Goal 15: Develop a sustainability plan for grant activities.
Goal 16: Promote staff wellness and resilience.
Goal 17: Train clinicians on affirming therapeutic practices.
Goal 18: Promote healthy relationships for youth with and without SED/SMI.

Through this project, over 37,911 students will receive increased access to culturally and linguistically competent and affirming mental health supports and services that will be organized under NBOE's tiered system of supports.

*NPS/NBOE will be used interchangeably throughout the proposal.

Newark Public Schools

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]

New Jersey 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 200% from $1,799,924 to $5,399,832.