Norristown — The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit was awarded a $7.2 million four-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
This highly competitive Project AWARE grant, which Intermediate Units will receive $1.8 million annually over four years, has only been awarded to about 20 organizations nationwide.
Project AWARE is a nationwide grant created to develop sustainable infrastructure for school-based mental health programs and services. The Intermediate Division provides programs and services to school districts, colleges, vocational schools, nonpublic schools, and other organizations in Montgomery County. Through direct service to students, especially those most at risk, the Intermediate Unit was able to identify ways to help students and their families navigate mental health support and services. rice field.
“This grant award is a huge recognition for MCIU and reflects all the hard work and achievements of MCIU employees in supporting students and families across the region,” said the executive in a press release issued by the Intermediate Unit. Director Regina Speaker said. “We thank Senators Robert Casey and Rep. Madeleine Dean, and many partners, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education, for their support of this grant project.”
The grant project will expand opportunities for suicide awareness training for students (K-12), implement a universal mental health screener for use by school district or nonpublic school staff members, and engage school mental health professionals ( Create an electronic data system to connect psychologists, etc.). , social workers and counselors) and community-based mental health providers readily available to support students at all levels of care (from outpatient care to inpatient psychiatric care).
The MCIU has partnered with two other Intermediate Units (Luzerne and Carbon-Lehigh County Intermediate Units) on this project to actively address the mental health needs of students.
