Tennessee offering $10.2 million in 'resilient' grants for mental health in public schools

NASHVILLE — More mental health help soon could be coming to public school students in the Tri-Cities and across the Volunteer State.The Tennessee Department of Education has announced the Resilient School Communities Grant, an application opportunity across all 146 Tennessee public school districts.The funding pie for public school systems to be split is more than $10 million, with a maximum award of $250,000 per school system and a minimum of $10,000.The grant funding will cover the cost of resources to train participating districts in trauma-informed practices while receiving regional and state-level support for implementation.Gary Mayes, director of the Sullivan County Regional Health Department, and Dr. Stephen May, a physician and medical director of that department, said trauma-informed care is preventive as well as treatment.The $10.2 million dollar investment is to address needs for school-based supports, expand school-based initiatives and increase staff capacity to best serve students, according to a TDOE news release.All 146 public Tennessee school districts are encouraged to apply, the release said, and the grant awards will vary based on their application score.The application deadline is Sept. 8, 2022, the review process by TDOE is Sept. 12-23 and the notice of awards and availability date for getting the funds is Sept. 30.BRISTOL SCHOOLS"We have put significant resources in for mental health with our ESSER (federal Elementary Secondary and Elementary Schools Relief from COVID) dollars as well," said Rebecca House, spokeswoman for the Bristol, Tennessee City Schools.Kristie Coleman, supervisor of student services for the Bristol system, said system officials are "excited about the opportunity to apply" for the grant funding."Mental health supports for students are critical and have been a priority for our district with the federal COVID-relief funding," Coleman said"We already have four Trauma-Informed Schools and have been chosen for a state pilot for RTI2-A + RTI2-B. This program takes behavior intervention a step further by recognizing the importance of considering students' academic and behavioral needs together, rather than in isolation."The grant "would allow us to continue to build on our existing mental health services by hiring additional staff and adding enhanced programming," Coleman said.KINGSPORT SCHOOLS"I've talked with a couple of different folks that are working on this," Kingsport City Schools Assistant Superintendent of Administration Andy True said on Thursday."We're currently exploring how this opportunity to provide resources could be utilized, investigating possible programming and also the specific requirement details of the grant."SULLIVAN COUNTY SCHOOLSEvelyn Rafalowski, Sullivan County director of schools, on Thursday said her staff also is planning to seek the grant and is looking into the details."Sullivan County Schools has several schools that already have some trauma-informed school training," Rafalowski said, adding that school officials are anxious to add more counselors. "We also will be looking to hire more counselors this year."Aside from school system counselors, the school system has two Frontier Health counselors, one at Sullivan Central Middle and the other at Sullivan East High."It's not like we could get a mental health counselor at each school," Rafalowski said of spreading $10.2 million across 146 public school districts.Among other things, the funding will increase staff capacity for school-based supports, including mental health support staff, such as counselors, school psychologists, social workers and behavioral specialists.SULLIVAN COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALSMayes and May said in a joint interview on Wednesday that additional counselors and other professionals are needed in schools.Specifically, they cited the need to recognize adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, and help children deal with the mental health aftereffects of them. May said improvements in access to counselors and other resources in the schools is among the most-needed things in mental health treatment.The grant funding comes from COVID-19 relief funding via the Tennessee Department of Health to support the TDOE's needs for expanded school-based supports. Learn more about the grant and how to apply online at www.tn.gov/education/news and click on the apply link in the resilient grant news release.TENNESSEE OFFICIALS"For years, Tennessee school districts have worked diligently to help students overcome barriers, and Resilient School Communities grants will offer resources to help continue this work," Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn said in the release. "We thank the Tennessee Department of Health for partnering in this work to help districts across Tennessee secure needed resources and specialized staff to support Tennessee students."In addition, the grant funding will extend school-based initiatives and supports within districts through development of comprehensive school-based supports and program models, such as Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education (AWARE)."I applaud the work of Tennessee's school districts and the Tennessee Department of Education in using this important grant opportunity to invest in trauma informed supports that have been shown to improve health and educational outcomes," said TDH Commissioner Morgan McDonald, a medical doctor. "By supporting schools and teachers, this funding will have resounding impacts for healthier school environments and ultimately a healthier state for years to come."