Alaska

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program falls under ESSA, subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. States receive funds in the form of block grants and then fund local education agencies. To learn more, visit the T4PA Center website.

In 2019, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) received a Trauma Recovery Demonstration grant. DEED is using this 5-year grant to support model programs that enable a student from a low-income family (as defined in this notice) who has experienced trauma that negatively affects the student's educational experience to access the trauma-specific mental-health services from the provider that best meets the student's needs. The parent (as defined in this notice) of such a student from a low-income family may request services on behalf of the student. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/07/05/2019-14408/applications-for-new-awards-trauma-recovery-demonstration-grant-program.

In 2014, the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) received a Project AWARE grant through the Now is the Time initiative. DEED used this 5-year grant to 1) train adults on responding to mental health issues when interacting with school-aged youth, 2) connect children, youth and families who required support to appropriate mental health services, and 3) implement Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid in State and local training programs. For more information about this grant, go to: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-21-006.

Bering Strait School District, Lake and Peninsula School District, Nenana City School District, and Wrangell Public School District received funding through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant program. This 3-year grant helped schools expand the capacity of their school mental health services by 1) hiring qualified mental health professionals and 2) supporting parental involvement and school staff professional development to increase their capacities for collaborating with mental health community-based service providers. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.

In 2014, the Fairbanks Native Association received a Healthy Transitions grant. This 5-year grant program was designed to help improve access to treatment and support services for youth and young adults, aged 16-25 years old, who were at high risk of developing a serious mental or behavioral health condition. The goal of the program was to expand services and supports that were culturally competent and youth guided, improve cross-system collaboration, and increase public awareness of available resources and strategies for identifying early indications of serious mental health and substance use conditions among youth and young adults. To learn more, about this grant go to: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-14-017.

In 2022, the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, Dillingham City School District, and Bering Strait School District received a School-Based Mental Health Services grant. These districts are using this 5-year grant to increase the number of qualified (i.e., licensed, certified, well-trained, or credentialed, as defined in the notice inviting applications) mental health service providers that provide school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies (LEAs) with demonstrated need. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program

In 2023, the University of Alaska Anchorage received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This university is using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.