School district administrators, teachers and school board members are always looking for ways to support the children who attend local schools. School districts around the region received a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Mental Health and Safety grant to assist in taking care of tomorrow’s leaders.
Last year, school entities including school districts, area career and technical schools, intermediate units, charter schools, regional charter schools and cyber charter schools were eligible to apply for formula-based funds to focus on both mental health initiatives and physical security upgrades. Funding can be used for staff training programs in the use of positive behavior supports, de-escalation techniques, appropriate responses to student behavior that may require immediate intervention, and trauma-informed treatment for mental health providers in schools.
Funding from the grant in McKean County was awarded to BASD in the amount of $137,474 for physical school safety and security grant allocation and $137,474 for school mental health, for a total allocation of $274,949. The Kane Area School District was awarded a total allocation of $231,998, evenly split between school safety and mental health. Otto-Eldred School District received $108,452 for each category; while Port Allegany School District was awarded $113,589 for each category. Smethport Area School District received $111,293 physical school safety and security grant allocation and $111,293 school mental health grant allocation, for a total allocation of $222,586. Seneca Highlands IU-9 and the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center each received a total allocation of $140,000 to be split between safety and mental health.
Katy Pude, superintendent of the Bradford Area School District, said, “We have seen a rise in student issues like the rest of the country has. What is unique about here is how much we support our kids, and now we can offer more support to our staff as well.” Pude explained the mental health resources already available to students across the district, including Student Assistance Program Teams (SAP) that are available at all four schools as well as a focus room at the high school.
Recognizing that comprehensive school and behavioral health services are essential to creating and sustaining safe schools, BASD is excited to be partnering with The Guidance Center to provide supportive coaching and consultation to its teachers, staff and administration.
This initiative, however, is much different. Beginning Nov. 7, Dr. Joshua Halbauer, medical director at The Guidance Center, will work with the staff at both elementary schools. He is not on location to work with the students or to advocate a particular approach to medicine, Pude said.
“For one day each week, Dr. Halbauer will spend four hours at George G. Blaisdell and another four hours at School Street. His role is to offer staff a different strategy, to be a coach, and to support our teachers who, right now, are experiencing more than classroom management and behavioral issues in their classrooms,” Pude said. “There is so much going on and many students don’t know what to say or how, which can lead to issues in our classes. As adults, we need to learn if what we are doing is helping, or is there something else we can do. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes or ears on a situation can be all that is needed.”
She added that the staff also have access to a coaching app to couple with the work they do with Halbauer.
“We want to be better for our kids. One in five children and adolescents experience a behavioral health concern during their school years. Some examples include stress, anxiety, bullying, family problems, depression, learning disability and substance use. Our goal is to learn how to respond better,” Pude said.
Helbauer commented, “I have seen first-hand the benefit of strong collaboration between school partners and behavioral health. Part of my work prior to coming to Bradford was going into the schools in California. Using applications from the Community School Model helps to address challenges observed in our school district allowing for more positive outcomes.”
Other counties in the region were also awarded funding. Potter County’s total allocations, each split evenly between safety and mental health, are Austin Area School District, $204,808; Coudersport Area School District, $222,459; Galeton Area School District, $210,830; Northern Potter School District, $215,049; and Oswayo Valley School District, $211,676.
Elk County’s total allocations, each split evenly between safety and mental health, are Johnsonburg Area School District, $216,508; Ridgway Area School District, $223,761; and St. Marys Area School District, $258,006.
Total allocations for Cameron County School District are $216,541, half for safety and half for mental health.
Since 2018, PCCD has awarded nearly $500 million through the School Safety and Security Grant Program to more than 750 eligible school entities throughout the commonwealth to support school safety needs. Funds have been used to support a wide variety of physical security enhancements for school buildings, address student behavioral health needs and support COVID-19 mitigation efforts.