Duval County School District receives $1.3M Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Project aware: strengthening school mental health in duval county public schools - duval county public schools (dcps) will implement project aware across 22 secondary schools in the springfield, jwj, and westside feeder patterns in duval county, Florida, serving approximately 21,565 students in grades 6–12. The project will strengthen a three-tiered behavioral health framework for prevention, early identification, suicide and substance use prevention, intervention, youth leadership, and coordinated care. Tier 1 activities will reach all participating students; tier 2 and tier 3 services will support students identified through screening and referral. Strategies include an advisory committee, community partnerships, needs assessment and resource mapping, expanded school-based behavioral health services, grow clubs, teen mental health first aid, student-led mental health summits, and a standup act suicide awareness and prevention training policy. By march 30, 2027, dcps will establish the advisory committee and at least 10 community partnerships. Annually, the project will reach at least 21,565 individuals with behavioral health promotion activities, screen at least 750 students, serve at least 150 students with school-based behavioral health services, and refer at least 80 students to community providers. Grow clubs will expand to all 22 schools, and 50 district social workers will be certified as qpr train-the-trainer instructors by september 29, 2030.