Friday, September 13, 2024
9/13/2024
Project AWARE Colorado aims to increase awareness of behavioral health issues among school-aged youth and connect youth and families to needed services. Identified service gaps will be addressed through partnerships at the state and local level and evidence-based practices (EBPs) will be implemented. The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) in partnership with the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) will enhance state infrastructure as well as provide needed supports to three identified Local Education Agencies (LEAs). These LEAs include Colorado Springs District 11, a central, urban city with 50% minority students and 57% free/reduced priced lunch; Littleton Public Schools, a metro, suburban area with 27% minority students and 17% free/reduced priced lunch; and, Montezuma-Cortez RE-1, a southwest rural, remote city with 52% minority students, including the largest number of American Indian students in Colorado, and 58% free/reduced priced lunch. These LEAs are experiencing high needs including suicidal ideation, risk behaviors, service gaps, and safety needs. To meet these needs, project goals and objectives include: Goal 1) Enhance the current state infrastructure for a coordinated, culturally-responsive approach to meet the behavioral health needs of students, families, and communities via objectives spanning through August 30, 2025 including: 1.1) Convening state partners at least two times per school year to enhance the state behavioral health infrastructure and coordinate related policies, programs, and funding streams; 1.2) Participating in at least two learning opportunities per year to build their capacity to enhance state infrastructure and provide quality technical assistance to LEAs. Goal 2) Increase the implementation of efforts within selected LEAs to improve or expand upon evidence-based behavioral health programs, services, and interventions for school-aged youth and families. Each of the objectives address the work of the three LEAs and will be met by the end of the 2024-2025 school year including: 2.1) Implementing a comprehensive action plan of evidence-based, culturally competent, and developmentally appropriate school- and community-based behavioral health services based on a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) approach; 2.2) Utilizing MTSS to enhance Tier 1 (universal approaches) with school-aged youth to improve behavioral health; 2.3) Utilizing MTSS to offer Tier 2 and Tier 3 (targeted and intensive approaches) and be able to respond immediately to school-aged youth who exhibit behavioral signs warranting the need for clinical attention; and, 2.4) Identifying and leveraging additional funding streams and systems change efforts to sustain behavioral health efforts. Goal 3) Increase capacity of LEAs through building behavioral health awareness and literacy of those who support school-aged youth and families to recognize behavioral health needs and connect them to appropriate services. The objectives will be met by August 30, 2025 and include: 3.1) Implementing a workforce development training plan that increases the capacity of LEAs on use of trauma-informed approaches, social-emotional learning, and implementing and connecting to quality services; 3.2) Offering at least two training opportunities each school year for the three identified LEAs, other school health professionals, and other LEAs based on the workforce development training plan. Collectively, LEAs will reach 43,800 school-aged youth in year one with an additional 3,775 students per year throughout the grant. State trainings will reach an additional 150 LEA staff each year across Colorado.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
