June 2022
Latest News
June is Internet Safety Month
With K-12 schools across the country out for summer vacation, students may be spending more time online. Parents and caregivers can help children and young adults stay safe online by talking to them about their online behavior and identifying opportunities to use the internet in safer ways. Learn more about Internet Safety Month and access online safety resources here.
DHS Releases Summary of Terrorism Threat to the United States
Several recent violent attacks by lone offenders against minority communities, schools, houses of worship, and mass transit have demonstrated the dynamic and complex nature of the threat environment facing the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin regarding this continued heightened threat environment, as well as the ways DHS works with partners across government, in the private sector, and in local communities to keep Americans safe, including through resources such as SchoolSafety.gov. Read the full NTAS Bulletin, and access school safety-specific resources here.
2022 School Pulse Panel Data Shows Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Schools
A new survey from the National Center for Education Statistics found that 70 percent of public schools reported that the number of students who have sought mental health services increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey also revealed data on the ability of schools to effectively provide mental health services to students in need as well as the implementation of social and emotional health programs. Access the survey data here.
SAMHSA Shares Resources to Address Trauma
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration identifies that trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. The SAMHSA-funded National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed a range of resources to help children, families, educators, and communities address trauma. Access the available resources here.
U.S. Department of Education Delivers Emergency Funds to Support Uvalde Schools
The U.S. Department of Education furthered the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government response to the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School by disbursing a $1.5 million School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) grant to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. Project SERV funds are authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and may be used for activities that help restore a sense of safety and security for the district’s students, teachers, staff, and families, and that address specific needs of those individuals directly affected by the shooting. Read the press release here.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grants and Funding Opportunities
July Deadlines
Ongoing
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.
Events, Webinars, and Conferences
End-of-Year Recap: School Safety Resources and Tools for K-12 Schools (June 23) – This webinar hosted by the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse will provide an overview of features available on SchoolSafety.gov that school personnel can utilize to discover the right resources for their communities and create a comprehensive school safety program. Sign up here.
CISA Resources for Enhancing Physical Security in Schools (June 28) – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is holding an informational webinar featuring presentations from the CISA School Safety Task Force, Office for Bombing Prevention, Critical Infrastructure Exercises, and Security Programs, who will provide an overview of the threats schools face when it comes to physical security, as well as the CISA resources available for school personnel to help address and prevent these threats. Register here.
Protect Our Youth Online: A Virtual Event to Start the Conversation (June 28) – This virtual event will provide information and resources to parents, educators, and child-serving professionals to help everyone start the conversation about online safety. Over the course of three sessions, attendees will hear from technology safety experts from around the world who will offer tips and resources to help inform and protect children of all ages. Learn more here.
Promoting School Preparedness, Community Resilience, and Recovery in the Face of Adversity (June 29, July 13 & 27) – This four-part event series will focus on the role of schools and school mental health providers throughout crisis planning and response and will offer a framework for planning that is part of a larger trauma-informed and healing-centered approach to education and school mental health. Presenters will highlight crisis planning efforts and examples across the Southeast region and nationally to promote collaborative learning. Upcoming events include:
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Part 2: Improving Readiness (June 29) – This training will review best practices for planning and highlight resources that will help school mental health providers build their toolboxes for crisis readiness and response. Register here.
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Part 3: Response (July 13) – This session will provide practical information about responsive practices and supportive resources to promote collective resilience during episodes of hardship and trauma. Register here.
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Part 4: Recovery and Maintenance (July 27) – This session will provide practical information about best practices and key resources to promote family-school-community collaboration for collective resilience during the long-term recovery and maintenance phase of an experience with collective trauma. Register here.
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety-related webinars, conferences, and more.
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New School Safety Resources
CISA Resources to Strengthen Campus Physical Security and Protect Against School Violence
This article in Campus Safety magazine outlines actionable and tailorable school safety resources, tools, and programs from CISA.
Interactive School Ventilation Tool
This interactive tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows how particle levels change as you adjust ventilation settings in your school.
Visit SchoolSafety.gov for additional resources to support school safety and security efforts.
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If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact us at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov. Follow @SchoolSafetyGov on Twitter for additional school safety updates.
SchoolSafety.gov Disclaimer
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Education (ED), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) do not endorse any individual, enterprise, product, or service. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described in this communication. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information outside of those respective Departments, and the opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS.
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