Project Grant H79SM088279

ARKANSAS AWARE 2023: IMPROVING CHILD MENTAL HEALTH AND ENHANCING TEACHER SUPPORT - AFMC'S ARKANSAS AWARE 2023 IS DESIGNED TO IMPACT EDUCATORS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS BY IMPLEMENTING STATEWIDE INITIATIVES CRITICAL TO THE HEALTHY SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR YOUTH AND PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN SCHOOL SETTINGS. WE WILL BUILD ON CURRENT AWARE EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE WHILE FOCUSING ON THREE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES. CRITICAL TO MAKING AN IMPACT IS SUPPORTING EDUCATORS AND OUR PLAN IMPLEMENTS A STATEWIDE TEACHER SUPPORT LINE WITH COACHING AND REFERRAL RESOURCES FOR ALL OF ARKANSAS'S TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF. ALL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES WILL DEVELOP AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS, AND PROVIDE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND RESILIENCE TOOLS SUPPORTING SCHOOL AND STUDENT WELL-BEING WITH ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. ON THE LEA LEVEL, THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ACTIVITIES ON THE EARLE AND MARION SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN CRITTENDEN COUNTY, AND THE SEARCY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN WHITE COUNTY. EARLE SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS ARE BOTH 95% AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LOW-INCOME. THE STUDENTS IN MARION SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE 55% AFRICAN AMERICAN AND 72% LOW-INCOME. SEARCY SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS ARE 47% LOW INCOME. BY WORKING IN THOSE 3 DISTRICTS, WE WILL BE REACHING OVER 8,000 STUDENTS. THE SPECIFIC GOALS OF ARKANSAS AWARE 2023 FOR THESE FOCUS COUNTIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: GOAL 1: INCREASE RESILIENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH WELL-BEING FOR SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH BY INCREASING ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE SCHOOL- AND COMMUNITY-BASED DIRECT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, TRAINING SCHOOL DISTRICT STAFF IN EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, ENCOURAGING ENGAGEMENT AND INCREASING AWARENESS AMONG PARENTS, AND PROMOTING THE USE OF HEALTHY SOCIAL MEDIA. GOAL 2: INCREASE AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE SCHOOL- AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES BY DEVELOPING A COLLABORATIVE ADVISORY BOARD TO SUPPORT AND INFORM THE PROJECT, CONDUCTING DISTRICT-LEVEL NEEDS ASSESSMENTS TO IDENTIFY GAPS AND NEEDS, DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A PLAN BASED ON A THREE-TIERED PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL THAT INCLUDES SCREENING AND REFERRAL TO APPROPRIATE SERVICES, DEVELOPING A SCHOOL SAFETY AND THREAT/VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN, AND DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN TO CONTINUE EFFORTS AS THE FUNDING ENDS. GOAL 3: BUILD ON CURRENT AWARE EFFORTS TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE INVOLVED WITH SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH BY CREATING A TEACHER SUPPORT LINE, DEVELOPING, AND MAINTAINING A MICROSITE OF EDUCATIONAL TOOLS FOR EDUCATORS, AND PROVIDING TRAINING IN THE STATE. OUR SUSTAINABILITY PLAN BUILDS ON ARKANSAS AWARE'S CURRENT EFFORTS TO INCREASE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT FOR ARKANSAS EDUCATORS. A STATEWIDE TEACHER SUPPORT LINE WILL PROVIDE RESOURCES AND EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP) REFERRALS TO ADDRESS STRESS AND WELLBEING FOR TEACHERS AND STAFF. THIS HELPLINE IS A NEEDED RESOURCE TO SERVE ALL 261 DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE OF ARKANSAS (1,056 SCHOOLS) THAT EMPLOY OVER 32,000 CERTIFIED TEACHERS, APPROXIMATELY 40,000 OTHER SUPPORT STAFF, AND CLOSE TO 477,000 STUDENTS. IN THE STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN AMERICA 2022, ARKANSAS RANKED 47TH IN PREVALENCE OF YOUTH MENTAL ILLNESS AND 42ND IN ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. IN ADDITION, ARKANSAS RANKS 50TH IN THE RATE OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED WITH EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE FOR AN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM IN 2021 (2.42 TO 1,000). ARKANSAS HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF TRAUMATIZED YOUTH, RANKING 48TH NATIONALLY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MORE THAN TWO ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (AMERICA'S HEALTH RANKING, 2021). OUR STATEWIDE APPROACH WILL ADDRESS DEFICIENCIES BY TRAINING THOSE WHO WORK WITH SCHOOL-AGE YOUTH TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE AND REVERSE THESE TRENDS.