Northeast Georgia Resa
375 Winter St
Department of Health and Human Services / Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROJECTS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE
NEGA RESA PROJECT AWARE - POPULATIONS TO BE SERVED - NORTHEAST GEORGIA REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AGENCY JOINS WITH ITS PARTNERS, GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES, AS NEGA RESA PROJECT AWARE TO SUPPORT THREE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA - BARROW, JACKSON, AND WALTON COUNTY SCHOOLS - THAT WILL SERVE MOST OF NEGA'S STUDENTS WITH SEVERE EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE AND SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS STARTING IN FALL 2023. THE REGIONAL SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS WITH SED AND SMI WILL CLOSE IN MAY 2023 AND THE REGIONAL STUDENTS WITH SED AND SMI WILL TRANSITION TO THE THREE DISTRICT LEAS SUPPORTED UNDER THIS PROJECT AWARE GRANT. THROUGH AWARE, THE THREE DISTRICT LEAS WILL BUILD A MUCH NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR REDUCING SUICIDAL IDEATION AMONG ALL STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH SED AND SMI, EFFECTIVELY RESPONDING TO CRISES, PREVENTING MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, PROMOTING MENTAL WELLNESS, AND INCREASING MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY AMONG ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF, WITH AN ADDITIONAL EMPHASIS ON BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR THE INCREASED POPULATION OF STUDENTS WITH SED AND SMI, THEIR TEACHERS, AND FAMILIES. THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE, TRAUMA-INFORMED, DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES, ALL 40,000 STUDENTS ACROSS THE THREE DISTRICT LEAS, INCLUDING 205 STUDENTS AGED 9-17 WITH SED AND SMI, WILL HAVE FUNDAMENTALLY BETTER AND INCREASED ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND SERVICES. THIS GRANT WILL IMPROVE THE WAY ALL STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH SED AND SMI, ARE SUPPORTED WITHIN THE THREE DISTRICT LEAS BY INCREASING ACCESS TO MUCH NEEDED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND SERVICES ACROSS THE TIERS OF INTERVENTION. ACROSS THE DISTRICT LEAS, A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS REPORTED SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING AND ATTEMPTING SUICIDE IN 2021. THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS REPORTED REGULARLY BEING DEPRESSED. STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS - THE DISTRICT LEAS WILL IMPLEMENT MULTIPLE EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES UNDER THE THREE-TIER PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL OF PREVENTION THAT WILL CREATE A CULTURE OF HEALTH PROMOTION, KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS, AND SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AND CRISES. FOUR OF THE MANY EBPS TO BE IMPLEMENTED INCLUDE PREPARE, SIGNS OF SUICIDE, COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR TRAUMA IN SCHOOLS, AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID. IN ADDITION, EACH DISTRICT LEA WILL CHOOSE FROM SCHOOL-WIDE EBPS TO ENSURE THAT ALL CLASSROOMS IN THE DISTRICT LEAS ARE PROMOTING MENTAL WELLNESS FOR ALL STUDENTS IN A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED WAY. FINALLY, THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE SEA AND SMHA, EACH DISTRICT LEA WILL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS PROVIDE SCHOOL-BASED, CLINICAL SUPPORTS TO STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT SED OR SMI. PROJECT GOALS AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES - THERE ARE 14 GOALS AND 58 OBJECTIVES FOR THIS PROJECT. GOAL 1 - INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR YOUTH WITH AND WITHOUT SED OR SMI. GOAL 2 - IMPLEMENT A SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING CURRICULUM. GOAL 3 - ESTABLISH SUICIDE AWARENESS TRAINING POLICY. GOAL 4 - IMPLEMENT PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR SUICIDE AND SUBSTANCE USE. GOAL 5 - TRAIN ADULTS ON MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS. GOAL 6 - IMPLEMENT A SCHOOL SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM. GOAL 7 - IMPLEMENT TIER 1 AND 2 SCREENING FOR STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT SED. GOAL 8 - IMPLEMENT TIER 2 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. GOAL 9 - ESTABLISH A REFERRAL PATHWAY FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS FOR YOUTH WITH AND WITHOUT SED OR SMI. GOAL 10 - ESTABLISH A CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN FOR STUDENTS WITH SEVERE BEHAVIORS. GOAL 11 - ESTABLISH COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH A LOCAL ADVISORY BOARD. GOAL 12 - DEVELOP A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOR GRANT ACTIVITIES. GOAL 13 - PROMOTE STAFF WELLNESS. GOAL 14 - PROMOTE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS FOR YOUTH WITH AND WITHOUT SED AND SMI.