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Cooperative Agreements for School-Based Trauma-Informed Support Services (TISS) and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth
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The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for school and community-based trauma-informed services for children and youth, and their families. The collaborative efforts of this program will create and/or improve identification, referral, early intervention, treatment, and support services for students that need specialized support.
The purpose of the Trauma-Informed Services in Schools program is to increase student access to evidence-based and culturally relevant trauma support services and mental health care by developing innovative initiatives, activities, and programs to link local school systems with local trauma-informed support and mental health systems, including those under the Indian Health Service.
Grantees will develop and/or implement the following:
- Collaborative partnerships with at least one local/community trauma-informed support and mental health services system to develop and provide screening, referral, and treatment support services to students and their families.
- Develop an implementation plan which would include the following:
- A trauma informed support and mental health services plan
- A training plan
- A family and community engagement plan
- A sustainability plan
With this program, SAMHSA aims to further enhance and improve trauma-informed support and mental health services for children and youth.
Current Grantees
- Educational Services District #105
- Sodus Central School District
- Nevada Department of Education
- Jersey City Board of Education
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, Inc
- Campbell County Board of Education Public Properties Corporation, THER
- Collingswood Public School District
- Burlington County Institute of Technology
- Wyoming State Department of Education
- Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County
- Rhode Island State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Camden County Educational Services Commission
- Chicago Public Schools
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District
Grantee Spotlight/Impact Story
Grantee Spotlight/Impact Story
We thank our grantees for their commitment and dedication to helping support the mental health of children, youth, and their families and would like to acknowledge just a few stories from our grantee organizations which highlight how the Trauma-Informed Support Services (TISS) grant program has made an impact.
Collingswood Public School District is a small New Jersey district serving 2,200 students in eight schools. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rise in the number of students requiring therapeutic and other support. In December 2022, with the help of the Trauma-Informed Services in Schools (TISS) grant, they have been able to increase the capacity for students and their families to obtain access to school-based and community-based support.
Currently, students can obtain mental health service referrals in two ways: (1) they can go through teaching staff or other school personnel like the School Nurse, the Family Liaison, and the Homeless Liaison; or (2) they can self-refer online, making it easier to gain access and maintain confidentiality. Parents are able to obtain referrals through Genesis, their student information system. Many documents and forms are available in Spanish and an interpretation service program is available, if needed.
In March of 2023, Collingswood Public School District opened the Wellness Center, which offered Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Sessions focused on self-regulation, relationship building, and mindfulness to the students and the community. In the past school year, The Wellness Team conducted SEL workshops for 160 school staff members during professional development days and 135 students participated in targeted SEL activities during testing days to provide them with tools to combat testing anxieties.
“This grant will expedite our ability to meet the critical mental health needs of students in a meaningful way during the school day. We’re taking a very intentional approach by integrating mental health services with specific academic support. Our students deserve this level of care, and we believe it will have a positive impact on student achievement for years to come.” – Dr. Fred McDowell, Superintendent of Collingswood Public School District.
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Point of Contact
Jennifer Chan, M.P.A., Public Health Advisor: jennifer.chan@samhsa.hhs.gov
Nancy Kelly, M.S., Ed., Mental Health Promotion Branch Chief: nancy.kelly@samhsa.hhs.gov