In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $4.75 million in Promoting Student Resilience grants to three local educational agencies to increase their capacities for addressing the comprehensive behavioral and mental health needs of students in communities that have experienced significant civil unrest. Significant unrest, as defined by the award, refers to demonstrations of mass protest that included law enforcement involvement and occurred within 24 months immediately prior to June 23, 2016.
Focus of the Grant
Funded local educational agencies offered students school-based supports to address their behavioral and mental health needs. Funding was designed to support system-wide approaches that link schools, mental health service providers, and community-based organizations to address the educational and mental health needs of youth who experienced significant trauma related to the civil unrest in their communities. These approaches included providing increased access for students to school-based counseling services and expanding referrals to community-based counseling services.
Grantees
More information on the Promoting Student Resilience grantees can be found on NCSSLE's State pages. Read more information about the Promoting Student Resilience grants here, or access a particular State page below to learn more.
Maryland
|
Illinois
|
Missouri
|
Report
At the conclusion of the grant, NCSSLE prepared a report summarizing the purpose of the grant, who it served, the kinds of activities the grantees conducted, the kinds of support the grantees received, and lessons learned.
Innovation Spotlights
Over the course of the grant, each grantee provided professional development on trauma to its staff, though each approached professional development differently. NCSSLE prepared spotlights on how each grantee provided professional development.
Grantee Highlight
Baltimore City Schools is utilizing its Promoting Student Resilience grant to establish a cohesive response to youth mental health needs, particularly in relation to trauma. Grant funds have been used to hire a trauma manager and trainers, and to provide a mandatory learning module on trauma-informed practices to all school teachers and staff. This article provides an overview of Baltimore City’s need for this work and its efforts to more effectively address the mental health needs of students.