This five-year project plans to provide support for the evaluation of a state and local initiative to strengthen school-based supports for the mental health and resiliency of children.
The purpose of this program is to build or expand the capacity of State Educational Agencies, in partnership with State Mental Health Agencies (SMHAs) overseeing school-aged youth and local education agencies (LEAS), to: (1) increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth; (2) provide training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth to detect and respond to mental health issues; and (3) connect school-aged youth, who may have behavioral health issues (including serious emotional disturbance [SED] or serious mental illness [SMI]), and their families to needed services. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) expects that this program will focus on partnerships and collaboration between state and local systems to promote the healthy development of school-aged youth and prevent youth violence.
The Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health within the Steve Hicks School of Social Work will provide support to TEA for project evaluation and quality improvement.