September 2024
Latest News
In the wake of the tragedy at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia earlier this month, we acknowledge the heartbreak we are all feeling at the loss of innocent lives. We join the nation in offering our condolences to the families, friends, and community affected by this tragedy.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month
National Suicide Prevention Month serves as a time to remember the lives lost to suicide and the many individuals, families, and communities that have been impacted by suicide. It’s also a time to raise awareness about suicide prevention. In 2022, suicide was the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults. Schools are critical partners in supporting the mental health and well-being of young people and can provide services that address the needs of students experiencing mental health challenges or crises. Learn more about National Suicide Prevention Month and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and access school-specific suicide prevention resources on SchoolSafety.gov. These resources include a series of guides to help professionals, families, and communities support the mental well-being of LGBTQIA2S+ youth as well as a model school district policy for suicide prevention.
FCC Announces Application Filing Window for Cybersecurity Pilot Program
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that the application filing window for the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program will open on September 17 and close on November 1. During the application filing window, eligible schools, libraries, and consortia can apply to participate in the three-year, $200 million pilot by completing Part 1 of the FCC Form 484 to provide information about their cybersecurity needs, experience, and plans to use the funding. Applicants selected to participate in the program will be eligible to seek reimbursement for a wide variety of cybersecurity services and equipment.
SAMHSA Shares Back-to-School Mental Health Tips and Resources for Students
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published information on mental health and wellness tools and resources to help prepare children for the stressors and challenges they may face during the school year. These resources cover issues such as youth online safety, ensuring positive behavioral health in schools, and supporting student mental wellness and include the "Talk. They Hear You."® Campaign and recently released Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force Report.
CISA Announces Speakers for 2024 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced additional event details and keynote speakers for the 2024 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security, scheduled to take place on September 25 and 26. This year’s event will feature more than 35 school safety experts and practitioners along with keynote addresses by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, CISA Director Jen Easterly, and CISA Executive Assistant Director Dr. David Mussington. Through the virtual Summit, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of critical school safety issues and how to address them in their own schools and communities. Registration will close on the morning of September 25.
DHS Know2Protect™ Campaign Provides #Back2School Internet Safety Classroom Resources
Know2Protect, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) national public awareness campaign to prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse, published new resources for educators, school administrators, coaches, and other trusted adults to raise awareness of the importance of internet safety during the back-to-school season. Newly available resources include downloadable posters, tipsheets, and activities for classrooms and school settings, along with materials that can be provided to families to support online safety activities at home. Educators and administrators can also book an in-person or virtual training for their school to learn more about the growing threats children and teens face online.
Federal Government Announces Awards and Funding Opportunities for Multiple Grant Programs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through SAMHSA, and DHS announced recipients and allocations for multiple grants and funding opportunities, including several programs available to the K-12 community. These awards included $34 million in grant funding from EPA to reduce indoor air pollution in schools; $65 million from SAMHSA to address mental health and substance use crises; and nearly $724 million from DHS to support emergency preparedness, including $454 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides funding for physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack.
Justice Department Releases Webinar on Designing Accessible Public Schools
In response to a recent Government Accountability Office report, the Justice Department, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Education, recently developed a virtual training on designing accessible public school buildings. The training video describes accessibility features schools should consider to ensure they are accessible to students with disabilities as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Start a Conversation on Emergency Preparedness This National Preparedness Month
September is National Preparedness Month, an annual effort that emphasizes how preparing for disasters can help keep families and communities safe. Starting a conversation on emergency planning and preparedness can help members of the K-12 community take actions to plan for disasters and build resilience. This month and throughout the year, parents, educators, and other members of the school community can use SchoolSafety.gov’s emergency planning resources and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Kids to learn more about disaster preparedness.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.
Events, Webinars, and Conferences
Lessons from the Field – Suicide Prevention: Building Protective Factors to Keep Students Safe (September 18) – This webinar, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, will provide the latest information on suicide trends among K-12 students. It will also share related risk and protective factors and strategies schools can implement to support suicide prevention based on the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.
Making Sense of Health Privacy Laws: HIPAA and FERPA for School-Based Health Professionals (September 19) – This virtual training, hosted by the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network and the Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information, will describe how federal health privacy laws, like HIPAA and FERPA, apply to protecting and sharing student mental health information. Experts will discuss common school-based scenarios involving student mental health information and share how relevant resources and technical assistance can be accessed.
2024 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security (September 25 and 26) – This virtual event, hosted by CISA, will provide information on resources and strategies to enhance safe and supportive learning environments. The two-day event will feature panel discussions, expert overviews, and keynote speakers covering topics such as violence prevention, K-12 cybersecurity, youth online safety, student mental wellness, emergency planning, and student interventions and support.
Preventing Mass Attacks in Our Communities (October 1, December 18, February 19) – These virtual training events, hosted by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), will cover findings from NTAC’s research on mass attacks perpetrated in public and semi-public spaces, including businesses, houses of worship, schools, and more. This training will also provide guidance on how communities may develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model.
Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment (November 20, January 15, March 19) – These virtual training events, hosted by NTAC, will highlight key findings and implications from NTAC’s research on school violence prevention. This training will also provide guidance on how schools may develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model.
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety-related webinars, conferences, and more.
Back to top
School Safety Resources
Emergency Planning Resources
Crisis Navigation in Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Schools
This self-paced training can assist school leaders in creating and strengthening a site crisis navigation team. It includes information on anticipating the outcomes of a crisis, identifying how to use the skills of those on the school crisis response team, and better anticipating the future needs of the school population and developing plans to meet those needs.
Especially Safe: An Inclusive Approach to Safety Preparedness in Educational Settings: Teaching and Training Guide
This guide provides an instructional framework to support educators in teaching essential concepts of safety preparedness to students/individuals with special needs, as well as key considerations for conducting subsequent training activities, such as emergency drills and exercises, safely and effectively.
School Preparedness: Before, During, and After School Emergencies
This webpage provides information, strategies, and resources to help K-12 school administrators and staff know what to do before, during, and after emergencies.
Mental Health Resources
National Guidelines for Child and Youth Behavioral Health Crisis Care
This resource offers best practices, implementation strategies, and practical guidance for the design and development of services that meet the needs of children, youth, and their families experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
Psychological First Aid: How to Help Students Recover After a Personal, Community, or School-Based Emergency
This fact sheet explores the goals of Psychological First Aid (PFA) models; outlines when and how schools can implement PFA, including considerations to keep in mind when implementing; and describes the type of training school staff need to use this strategy effectively.
Additional School Safety Resources
Improving School Safety Through Bystander Reporting: A Toolkit for Strengthening K-12 Reporting Programs
This toolkit offers simple strategies and guidance K-12 schools and school districts can use to implement and enhance safety reporting programs and encourage bystander reporting among students and other members of the school community.
Safe Storage of Firearms
This guide provides information on different types of storage devices and best practices for safely storing firearms.
Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Families and Educators
This resource offers tips for parents and educators on speaking to children about school violence. It provides information on what to say, suggested key points, and age-appropriate conversation guidelines.
Visit SchoolSafety.gov for additional resources to support school safety and security efforts.
Back to top
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact us at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov.
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.
|
