1. Project AWARE Grant Awarded to WVDE
Truancy Diversion Webinar
April 12, 2016

3. Project AWARE
A $9.7 million dollar Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) grant will focus on mental health needs of children, families and communities through the public school system over the next 5 years.

4. The grant’s goals are twofold:
Address the mental health needs of children, youth, families and caregivers and
Assist communities with the implementation of Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid programs.

5. What Does This Mean to Schools?

6. Project AWARE
This grant project will focus on students in PreK through grade 12, ages 3 to 21 years, in West Virginia schools.
Three counties will serve as the demonstration sites to guide the development of a statewide sustainable systems’ approach to improve mental health services.
The three county school systems are in Berkeley, McDowell and Wood.

7. Project AWARE’s purpose:
Build and expand the capacity of schools to increase awareness of the mental health issues of school-aged youth,
Provide training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth to detect and respond to mental health issues,
Connect children, youth and families who may have behavioral health issues with appropriate services
Promotes school-community partnerships to connect families to mental health services and
Provide evidence-based programs supporting safe and supportive school and community environments using the Community Schools’ framework.

8. Community Schools recognize that school and community partnerships are essential to student success
Students are actively involved in learning and their community
Families are involved with their children’s education
Students are healthy – physically, socially and emotionally
Students live and learn in a safe, supportive, and positive environment
Schools are engaged with families AND communities
Schools become centers of the community and are open to everyone-all day, every day, evenings and weekends

9. Interconnected Systems Framework
This work will begin the process of developing an interconnected systems framework in order to leverage individual program strengths linking:
School climate policy,
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports,
Comprehensive School Counseling Programs,
Student Advisory Programs,
Mental Health First Aid and
Mental health services.
Using the Community Schools Approach

10. Project AWARE Management Framework

12. Contact Information
Jackie Payne, MU - Project AWARE Coordinator
Dianna Bailey-Miller, MU – MHFA Coordinator
Paula Fields, WVDE - Community Schools Coordinator