December 2022
Latest News
Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program Accepting Applications for New Awards
The U.S. Department of Education issued a notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2023 for the Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant Program. The MHSP Program provides competitive grants to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health service providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies. Under this program, the Department estimates making 150-250 awards, ranging from $400,000 to $1,200,000, for each 12-month budget period for up to 5 years. Learn more here.
DHS Releases Summary of Terrorism Threat to the United States
On November 30, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin regarding the continued heightened threat environment across the United States. The bulletin also provides information on how DHS works with partners in government, the private sector, and local communities to keep Americans safe, including through resources such as SchoolSafety.gov. Read the full NTAS Bulletin, and find school safety-specific resources here.
Department of Energy Announces Renew America's Schools Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced the launch of the Renew America’s Schools grant program, a first-of-its-kind investment to make clean energy improvements at K-12 public schools. Funds will position school districts to make upgrades that will lower facilities’ energy costs and foster healthier learning environments for students. Schools can now apply for the first round of the grant, up to $80 million of the $500 million program, to make energy improvements especially in the highest-need districts across the country. Learn more.
Federal School Safety Resources for the New Year
This new resource package features a collection of SchoolSafety.gov one-pagers and infographics on a variety of school safety topics, including cybersecurity, emergency planning, school climate, mental health, and more. Download the package for actionable resources, guidance, and tools to help kick off your 2023 school safety planning efforts.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Energy Improvements at Public K-12 School Facilities - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) - Renew America's Schools (Application Deadline: January 26, 2023)
Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program (Application Deadline: January 27, 2023)
School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) (Application Deadline: Ongoing)
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.
Events, Webinars, and Conferences
Becoming a Trauma-Informed School Webinar Series (January 9, 23, & 30, February 6, 13, & 20, 2023) – This six-session training series provides education on the fundamentals of trauma and how it emerges within our public schools. It will provide tools and perspectives on the complexities of becoming a trauma-informed school environment and explore the logistical components of implementing best practices on a systems level for trauma-informed supports and protocols.
Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Grant Application Technical Assistance Webinar (January 11, 2023) – This webinar is designed to assist prospective applicants who might have questions related to the application process and procedures for the MHSP grant program.
Building Stronger Connections: Selecting High-Quality Evidenced-based Strategies for Safe, Healthy, and Supportive Schools Part II (January 18, 2023) – This webinar will focus on the importance of selecting evidence-based strategies and supports to ensure safe, healthy, and supportive schools. The session will focus on the importance of strong implementation of multi-tiered systems of support and selecting trauma-informed and restorative strategies, as well as highlight how community violence affects school climate and student health.
Student Privacy and Data Security Winter Webinar Series: Data Security and Data Breach Response (January 25, 2023) – This session will emphasize current data security best practices for education data systems, address ways in which schools are vulnerable, share common security failures seen in districts, and feature a simulated data breach interactive presentation.
Building Stronger Connections: Professional Development and Training for All School Staff on Strategies for Safe, Healthy, and Supportive Schools (January 26, 2023) – This webinar will highlight the importance of preparing educators to meet the diverse needs of students. The panel will include strategies to consider including professional development opportunities such as training all educators in emergency planning, restorative practices, inclusive and inviting classrooms, and asset-based alternatives to exclusionary discipline.
Learning Without Violence: A School Violence Prevention Virtual Summit (February 15, 2023) – This half-day virtual summit is designed for researchers, post-doctoral fellows, and students to disseminate research, facilitate new collaborations, and explore school violence prevention strategies.
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety-related webinars, conferences, and more.
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New School Safety Resources
Infectious Diseases and Public Health Resources
Guidance for School Administrators to Help Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Influenza in K-12 Schools
This webpage provides recommendations and best practices based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current knowledge of flu activity in the U.S. to help reduce the spread of this infectious disease among students and staff in K-12 schools.
Hand Hygiene in School and Early Care and Education
This webpage highlights the importance of hand hygiene and outlines ways school personnel can promote hand hygiene in school to keep staff and children healthy.
Parents: Help Children Fight Flu
This webpage provides information and resources for parents to help children fight the flu by getting themselves and their children vaccinated against the flu each year.
Mental Health Resources
Talk. They Hear You.
This campaign aims to reduce underage drinking and other substance use among youths under the age of 21 by providing parents, caregivers, educators, and community members with information and resources they need to address these issues with children.
Toolkit for Schools: Engaging Parents to Support Student Mental Health and Emotional Well-being
This toolkit is designed to help education leaders and schools raise parent awareness about school connectedness and its role in supporting student mental health and emotional well-being, and why family engagement both in and out of school is important.
Targeted Violence Resources
Building Peer-to-Peer Engagements
This briefing paper describes how peer-to-peer engagements can help communities build resilience against violence and terrorism and provide critical protective factors for youth.
Creation of School Shooting Open-Source Database Fuels Understanding
This article outlines information on the first open-source catalog of U.S. school shootings that researchers used to better understand the causes of school-related gun violence and identify intervention points.
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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