Monday, June 5, 2023
6/5/2023
Abstract: The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is submitting this Maryland AWARE II proposal to provide targeted, evidence-based practices to three Maryland underserved, high need, local public school systems, Baltimore City (BCPSS), Caroline (CCPS), and Talbot (TCPS) to scale-up the capacity to use a multi-tiered framework to improve student behavioral health outcomes and student and family linkages to mental health services. This project will provide Tier 1 training over the five years to a total of 7,500 school and community staff and families (serving 82,800 students annually) and will provide evidence-based Tier 2/3 training to 230 school and community providers (serving 6,650 students over 5 years). BCPSS is a diverse urban school district of approximately 73,000 students with elevated rates of poverty, depression, trauma, and exposure to community violence. CCPS and TCPS are rural school districts with approximately 5,800 and 4,700 students respectively. The two rural districts include diverse student populations, with high rates of depression and suicidal ideation, with limited access to mental health providers. Goals and objectives include: Goal 1: School staff, families, and community partners will receive training in evidence-based culturally competent and developmentally appropriate practices designed to increase the capacity to refer and connect students and their families with community-based behavioral health providers. Annual instructor trainings will be held for Youth Mental Health First Aid, Adverse Childhood Experiences Interface and Question, Persuade and Response. A systemic technical assistance strategy for instructors trained will emphasize cultural competency and developmentally appropriate practices. Goal 2: Improve school-based resources to immediately respond to the needs of students exhibiting signs and symptoms that warrant clinical attention will be developed. A Family Navigator will be hired in each LSS to support access to services and resources for students and families. Telemental health will be provided to facilitate the delivery of immediate services to students in need. LSS providers will be trained to provide treatment to students using evidence-based, school-based trauma treatments (CBITS and Bounce Back). Also, 30 providers each year will be trained by the Central East MHTTC on motivational interviewing and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to treatment. Goal 3: Guidelines will be developed for providing coordinated referral services and follow-up for students and families using evidence-based school and community practices and services. Each year the LSS and their respective schools will complete the School Mental Health Quality Assessment and Trauma-Responsive Schools Implementation Assessment and develop a strategic quality improvement plan. Goal 4: MSDE will build upon current State infrastructure to advance school mental health and safety policies to identify additional sources to improve, fund, and evaluate statewide school mental health. Existing policies and funding will be evaluated and recommendations will be made to facilitate effective and equitable school mental health.
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).
