Program Abstract
Fiscal Year 2009
84.215E

Grantees under this competition will use funds to support counseling programs in target elementary and secondary schools. Schools will establish or expand counseling programs through hiring qualified school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, or child and adolescent psychiatrists with a goal of expanding the range, availability, quantity and quality of counseling services available. Counseling services will use a developmental, prevention approach, and will be designed and implemented with the involvement of parents of the participating students.

To address Government Performance and Results Act measures for the program, grantees will use funds to help them close the gap between their student/mental health professional ratios and the student/mental health professional ratios recommended by the statute, and reduce the number of disciplinary referrals in schools participating in the program. Grantees have identified other project-specific goals that include improved student attendance and academic performance, social skills development, parental involvement, counselor and teacher professional development, and collaboration with community-based organizations that provide mental health and other services to students.