Stop school violence in nelson county serves 2,162 students in grades 6-12 in rural-fringe nelson county, kentucky through training, education, and intervention services to address the issue of school…

The U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded a $487,309 Project Grant through the STOP School Violence Program (CFDA 16.839) to the Nelson County Board of Education in Bardstown, Kentucky. The grant will fund a 3-year project to enhance school safety and address the issue of school violence in Nelson County's 6th-12th grade schools serving 2,162 students. The project includes three primary activities: 1) training school staff and students on strategies to recognize, identify, and respond to school safety threats; 2) implementing school-based early intervention, response, and recovery services for mental health crises using a trauma-informed approach; and 3) coordinating services and collaboration among school staff, community stakeholders, and law enforcement to improve school climate and positive responses to student behavior.

Stop school violence in nelson county serves 2,162 students in grades 6-12 in rural-fringe nelson county, kentucky through training, education, and intervention services to address the issue of school violence, including harm to self and others. The project extends current success in addressing physical aspects of safety in school facilities through instituting interventions rated effective by the national institutes of justice crime solutions. Three primary activities include: 1) train school staff and students in universal strategies to recognize, identify, and appropriately respond to threats to school safety as a preemptive measure for early intervention; 2) implement school-based early intervention, response, and recovery services for mental health crises using a trauma informed approach; and 3) coordinate services, consultation, and collaboration among school staff, community stakeholders, and law enforcement personnel to improve school climate and positive responses to student behavior. Anticipated outcomes include creation of a comprehensive system to identify potential threats of harm to self or others in a school setting, provision of solutions to root causes of these issues, and an integrated system of community partnerships and interventions for students and their families.