MARLBOROUGH — Superintendent-Director Ernest F. Houle is pleased to announce that the Assabet Valley Regional Vocational School District has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Healey-Driscoll Administration to improve student access to behavioral and mental health services.
The Administration recently announced that it was awarding $5,540,875 in grants to 60 school districts, educational collaboratives, and charter schools across Massachusetts to improve student access to behavioral and mental health services and support.
This funding can be used to create or expand comprehensive, integrated systems of student support and aims, through collaboration with families and educators, to build strong local school partnerships with community-based mental health agencies and/or providers.
Using the funding, the District plans to build a comprehensive mental health system to address the growing needs of its students.
Assabet has already made an effort to establish a network of support services for students including in-school counseling and behavior support provided by school counselors, psychologists and adjustment counselors; ongoing mental health initiatives; ongoing professional development to staff; partnership with collaboratives to provide wraparound supports; SaSS (Safe and Supportive Schools) grant-funded team to address student attendance; accommodations to students requiring extra support; BRYT transition program; mental health referral process; and crisis response/safety protocol.
This grant will allow time and resources to create a multi-tiered system of support that will serve as a framework under which to operate and make such practices reach more students under a consistent and common approach.
Additionally, the District has plans to partner with Cartwheel Care, a trusted mental health partner to schools. Cartwheel helps children and families get back on their feet when they’re struggling, provides professional development training in Youth Mental Health First Aid, works with consultants, holds a partnership with the Assabet Collaborative Family Success Partnership, pilots a Universal Mental Health Screening tool to help identify needs within our community, hosts a mental health awareness week and pilots school attendance campaigns.
“We are fortunate to have created and implemented several practices to support our students’ needs,” said Alyssia Berghaus, Director of Pupil Personnel Services. “We hope with this grant we begin to understand the needs of our students and families and are able to provide them with the tools and support necessary to be successful in their education at Assabet and beyond.”
“This grant funding will allow our District to expand on services that are much needed in a world where mental health issues are on the rise, especially among younger generations. Assabet is committed to providing high-quality support systems to our students, and this funding will help us do that,” said Superintendent-Director Houle. “Thank you to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for providing us with this opportunity to enhance the lives of our students.”
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