Illinois

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 2014, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) received a Project AWARE grant through the Now is the Time initiative. ISBE 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.

In 2019, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This district 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/2019/06/21/2019-13289/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.

In 2016, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) received a 2-year Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) grant to build and increase capacities for addressing the comprehensive behavioral and mental health needs of students in communities that experienced significant civil unrest. CPS used PSR funding to expand the range and quality of treatment services for high school students, emphasizing those which deal with exposure to trauma and provided coping strategies. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/student-resilience/index.html.

In 2014, Alton Community Unit School District 11, Sandoval Community Unit School District 501, and Zion Elementary School District 6 received a School Climate Transformation grant. With this 5-year grant, schools developed support systems and provided technical assistance to schools on implementing evidence-based multi-tiered behavioral frameworks. The primary goal was to improve behavioral outcomes and learning conditions for all students. To find out more about this grant go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/schoolclimatelea/index.html.

Bloom Township High School District 206 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 2016, the City of Chicago received a Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) grant. This 5-year grant is designed to assist communities that have recently faced civil unrest to better serve the needs of high-risk youth and their families by promoting resilience and equity. Communities will use funding to implement evidence-based, violence prevention, and community youth engagement programs, as well as linkages to trauma-informed behavioral health services. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-16-012.

In 2022, Skokie School District 69, Board of Education of City of Chicago, La Moille Cusd 303, West 40 Isc 2, and Crystal Lake Community Consolidated School District #47 received a School-Based Mental Health Services grant. These school systems 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/2022/10/04/2022-21631/applications-for-new-awards-school-based-mental-health-services-grant-program.

In 2022, Cook County School District 130 received a School-Based Mental Health Services grant. This district is 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/2022/10/04/2022-21631/applications-for-new-awards-school-based-mental-health-services-grant-program.

In 2023, the Illinois State Board of Education received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This state 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.

In 2022, the Illinois State Board of Education received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This state 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.

In 2022, the Illinois State Board of Education received a School-Based Mental Health Services grant. This state is 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/2022/10/04/2022-21631/applications-for-new-awards-school-based-mental-health-services-grant-program.

In 2023, Northeastern Illinois University and DePaul University received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. These universities are 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.

n 2022, Lewis University, Loyola University of Chicago, and Northern Illinois University received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. These universities are 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.