The National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention provides technical assistance and training to 147 school districts and communities that receive grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Upcoming SS/HS Grantee Events:
August 5&6: Project Director Consortia
Recent SS/HS Events:
June 4, 2009:
Webinar: Suicide in Rural Communities
June 16, 2009: Webinar: Culturally Competent Communication
June 22, 2009:
Webinar: Planning with Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Mind
For other SS/HS events, click here.
H1N1 Resources Available
Response and precaution measures for the H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) are being experienced in communities and schools throughout the United States, including some SS/HS districts. In an effort to help prepare SS/HS schools to assist district and community based staff, parents, and students, the National Center and the Communication Team have collected a number of resources for grantees. We will update this list as more resources become available.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) of 2009, several federal departments have released new funds that create opportunities to expand the work being done by the Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative.
- Recovery Act funding provided through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention includes $97.5 million for local and national mentoring initiatives in an effort to reduce juvenile delinquency, violence, gang participation, school failure, and drop-out rates.
- Afterschool programs will receive a tremendous amount of support through various funding opportunities, many of which are listed on the Afterschool Alliance Web site. These opportunities include youth training and employment services.
- Approximately $100 billion has been set aside for education programs. On April 16, ASCD hosted a special edition Whole Child Podcast which outlined the stimulus plan for education and described how funds can be used for school improvement, including capacity-building professional development. Visitors to ASCD's Web site will find additional resurces for educators about the stimulus package.
Visit the Department of Education’s Web site for a table showing the Initial Release of Recovery Act Funds, by State and other news on funding under the Recovery Act. Recovery.gov also provides an interactive map which allows users to learn more about the impact of the Recovery Act in each state.
Project Resource Guide for SS/HS Grantees
The National Center has published a guide to help grantees review the progress of their grant and engage partners in both the leadership and management aspects of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative. It reflects the experiences of over 200 SS/HS sites in achieving program outcomes and creating systems change. The narrative discusses the unique phase of start-up and delineates its key tasks, concerns, partnerships, and events. Subsequent sections focus on implementation, partnership and collaborations, evaluation, and sustainability.
The Project Resource Guide can be viewed and downloaded at http://www.promoteprevent.org/Publications/ProjectResourceGuide.html.
Creating Safer School Environments
The Consortium to Prevent School Violence Web site was launched November 13, 2007. It can be accessed at http://www.preventschoolviolence.org. The Consortium to Prevent School Violence (CPSV) is committed to reducing school violence nationally. The Web site provides fact sheets, research briefs, training PowerPoints, video materials, and Web links to relevant resources.
The Consortium is primarily a volunteer effort. CPSV is focused on advocacy that promotes effective implementation of positive school violence prevention practices, and fostering technical assistance, information dissemination, and professional development based on high-quality scientific research. CPSV promotes open access where researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in schools and surrounding communities are an integral part of the Consortium’s work.
The position statement of the Consortium to Prevent School Violence describes four key elements of an effective approach to creating safer schools: balance, communication, connectedness, and support. They recommend that schools
- Use a balanced approach to safety and appropriately allocate resources
- Build trust within the school and with the larger community to encourage open communication
- Create a connected social unit and reach out to marginalized students
- Create support systems within the school community to address students’ mental health needs and incidents of bullying and intimidation; and garner support from local law enforcement, mental health agencies, and politicians for assistance.
Our resource page Preparing and Responding to Crises in Schools also provides information on this important topic.
