The Colonial School District receives a $3.6 million federal grant to help it stay connected with students out of school for mental health or disciplinary reasons.
Colonial will receive the “Return to Learn” grant money over a five year period from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Colonial Director of Health and Wellness Dr. John Cooper says the grant was awarded to just 21 districts nationwide.
“I think something that was a little bit different about our application that stuck out a bit is this focus on this particular population of students who are out because of behavioral or mental health concerns," Cooper says. "Every school district in the country has students in this category, we are not unique. What we are maybe a bit unique in is focusing on those groups.”
He says a small group of students miss months, or even an entire school year due to mental or behavioral health problems. But with these federal dollars, they can be a part of students’ transition back to school and better communicate with the organizations and facilities where students are receiving help.
That involves bringing additional behavioral health providers like social workers into the secondary schools to facilitate that coordination.
“The direct services component is going to come through social workers who will actually be meeting with the students while they’re in their placement, and then working with the students, the families, the agencies and the schools to support those students after they transition back and up to three months after their transition," Cooper says.
Cooper adds this will also give teachers a better idea overall of what their students are going through, and make sure that no one is left behind.
