Talbot County Public Schools is one of three school districts in the State of Maryland to be awarded a Maryland Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education II (MD-AWARE II) grant by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The purpose of the grant is to develop a comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated model for advancing wellness and resilience in educational settings for school-aged youth.
TCPS will use these funds to expand the school district’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to provide sustenance for social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students. This initiative places a strong emphasis and priority on mental health services. The goals of the program may include, but are not limited to: access to mental health, mindfulness, trauma informed, wrap around, parent navigators, teacher consultants, behavior specialist, Youth Mental Health First Aid training, and restorative practices. This is a 5-year grant for $300,000 per year, pending continued available federal funding. Planning has begun for the expanded services to begin in early 2021.
“We are so grateful for the opportunity to augment these much needed mental health and wellness services for our students,” said Dr. Kelly Griffith, Superintendent. “Now more than ever we are concerned about the many challenges families face and the impact this has on our students’ lives and futures, so this is an extremely high priority for our school district and community.”