Nebraska

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program falls under ESSA, subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. States receive funds in the form of block grants and then fund local education agencies. To learn more, visit the T4PA Center website.

In 2019, Lincoln Public Schools received a Project Prevent grant. This district is using this 5-year grant to increase their capacity to help schools in communities with pervasive violence to better address the needs of affected students and to break the cycle of violence in those communities. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/projectprevent/index.html.

In 2019, the Educational Service Unit 2 received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This district is using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/06/21/2019-13289/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.

In 2014, Fremont Public Schools, Lincoln Public Schools, and the Papillion La Vista Community Schools received a School Climate Transformation grant. With this 5-year grant, schools developed support systems and provided technical assistance to schools on implementing evidence-based multi-tiered behavioral frameworks. The primary goal was to improve behavioral outcomes and learning conditions for all students. To find out more about this grant go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/schoolclimatelea/index.html.

Westside Community Schools received funding through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant program. This 3-year grant helped schools expand the capacity of their school mental health services by 1) hiring qualified mental health professionals and 2) supporting parental involvement and school staff professional development to increase their capacities for collaborating with mental health community-based service providers. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.

In 2022, Scottsbluff Public Schools, Educational Service Unit, and Lincoln Public Schools Inc. received a School-Based Mental Health Services grant. These school systems are using this 5-year grant to increase the number of qualified (i.e., licensed, certified, well-trained, or credentialed, as defined in the notice inviting applications) mental health service providers that provide school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies (LEAs) with demonstrated need. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/10/04/2022-21631/applications-for-new-awards-school-based-mental-health-services-grant-program.

In 2023, the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This university is using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.