Thursday, May 2, 2024
5/2/2024
Project Abstract The Montana Project AWARE Initiative will develop state infrastructure at Montana’s Office of Public Instruction (SEA) and Children’s Mental Health Bureau (CMHB) to support school districts across Montana in developing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for mental health promotion and response. This grant will also fund three Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in Montana to implement evidence-based and culturally competent school mental health practices. The participating LEAs include Montana’s largest district, a rural district in the Southwestern corner of the state and a tribal school district on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. The first LEA to be funded is the largest district in Montana, Billings Public Schools. Project AWARE funds will support the 11,533 students in the Elementary (K-8) Billings Public School District in Montana’s largest city (population 109,550). The second LEA to be funded is the Dillon Public Schools K-8 Elementary District #10, located in Beaverhead County a rural county in Southwest MT with a population of 9,453 residents. Dillon is the largest community in Beaverhead County (population 4,261) and a K-8 District enrollment is 727. The final LEA to be funded is the Rocky Boy Public School Districts Elementary (K-8) and High School (HS) which serve the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation in Northcentral Montana near the Canadian border, enrollment is 574. The reservation provides a home for about 2,500 members of the Chippewa-Cree tribe. Goal 1: Increase the awareness and capacity of Montana school systems and staff to prevent and respond to mental health issues using the Multi-Tiered Systems Framework: Objective 1: By the end of Year 5, the percent of middle and HS students demonstrating prosocial behaviors and mental health literacy will increase by 15% from baseline: Objective 2: By the end of Year 5, at least 3,500 individuals will receive training in mental health prevention and promotion in mental health related practices/activities: Objective 3: By the end of Year 5, 8 state or local policy changes will be documented that improve systems for responding to mental health issues in schools Goal 2: Increase the capacity of three Local Education Agencies in Montana to connect youth who have behavioral health issues and their families to needed services: Objective 1: By the end of Year 5, increase by 2,800 the number individuals referred to Tier 2 or Tier 3 mental health or related service: Objective 2: By the end of year 5, 100% of students in grades K-8 and Rocky Boy 9-12 will be receiving Tier 1 universals, 15% of students will be receiving Tier 2 interventions, and 1-5% of students will be receiving Tier 3 interventions in LEAs.
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).
