Monroe county, NY TISS initiative - boces of the secondary supervisory district of monroe and orleans counties (AKA monroe 2-orleans boces) proposes the monroe county trauma-informed services in…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded $969,973 to Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to implement the Monroe County Trauma-Informed Services in Schools (TISS) Initiative.

The initiative establishes a four-year regional partnership to increase access to trauma-informed behavioral health supports and coordinated systems of care for approximately 1,937 elementary-aged students and families across four schools in the Greece, Gates Chili, Hilton, and Spencerport school districts in Monroe County, New York. Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES will coordinate prevention, intervention, referral, treatment access, family engagement, suicide prevention, workforce development, and continuous quality improvement activities in partnership with schools, behavioral health providers, and the Community Schools Coalition of Monroe County, a countywide network exceeding 125 organizations.

Participating schools report chronic absenteeism ranging from 17 to 22.8 percent, more than 1,000 annual office discipline referrals, and documented threats of self-harm or harm to others. Students face barriers including provider shortages, transportation limitations, stigma, fragmented referral pathways, language access needs, and extended service waitlists, although students demonstrate strong relationships with trusted adults as a protective factor.

Period of performance runs through September 29, 2030, with place of performance in Spencerport, New York.

Monroe county, NY TISS initiative - boces of the secondary supervisory district of monroe and orleans counties (AKA monroe 2-orleans boces) proposes the monroe county trauma-informed services in schools (TISS) initiative, a four-year regional partnership designed to increase access to trauma-informed supports, behavioral health services, and coordinated systems of care for elementary-aged students and families in monroe county, new york. The initiative will serve approximately 1,937 students attending four elementary schools in the greece, gates chili, hilton, and spencerport school districts. Monroe 2-orleans boces will coordinate a system of prevention, intervention, referral, treatment access, family engagement, suicide prevention, workforce development, and continuous quality improvement in partnership with schools, behavioral health providers, and community organizations. The initiative will leverage the community schools coalition of monroe county, a countywide network of more than 125 organizations and 303 members dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families. Participating schools report significant levels of poverty, chronic absenteeism, behavioral health concerns, housing instability, and barriers to accessing care. Chronic absenteeism ranges from 17% to 22.8%, schools report more than 1,000 office discipline referrals annually, and lakeshore elementary documented approximately 190 threats of self-harm or harm to others during the 2025-2026 school year. Panorama SEL data reveal challenges in emotional regulation, self-awareness, belonging, and social awareness, while districts cite provider shortages, transportation barriers, stigma, fragmented referral pathways, language access needs, and long waitlists for services. Despite these challenges, students report strong relationships with trusted adults, providing an important protective factor upon which the initiative will build. The initiative will implement an integrated community schools and multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework combining characterstrong's purposefull people curriculum, trauma-responsive systems development through tinrc/TIG and tending the roots, restorative practices, family navigation, suicide prevention activities, and school-linked behavioral health partnerships. Tier 2 interventions will be delivered by center for youth social learning specialists, while tier 3 services will be provided through coordinated referral pathways with university of rochester medical center, rochester regional health, and charlie health. Family navigation and referral follow-through will be supported through the mywayfinder platform and community schools infrastructure. Project goals are to: (1) increase access to trauma-informed mental health supports and services; (2) strengthen trauma-informed MTSS implementation; and (3) improve student social-emotional wellness, school climate, attendance, and behavioral outcomes. Evaluation and continuous quality improvement activities will be led by DR. Erinn duprey and children's institute, utilizing a shared measurement framework that tracks individuals trained, screened, referred, and linked to mental health services, as well as student, family, and school outcomes. Through coordinated implementation and sustainable systems change, the initiative will strengthen school-community behavioral health partnerships and improve access to timely, effective supports for children and families across monroe county. The year 1 federal request is $969,973 with a total four-year federal request of $3,879,891.