Amy Henry from the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District was one of a team that wrote a grant proposal to the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration last year. The grant was for developing a Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (PBIS) system to be used in school systems.

 

Initially the federal government was going to award only 3 grants and the Ottawa team thought there was little chance of being awarded one. It ended up that there were 9 grants issued and one was for Amy's proposal. The preparation started last year and the program will be started in the schools this fall. It is funded for 5 years.

 

About 20% of the population needs mental health services and only 2/3 will receive assistance. Schools are a primary delivery point for mental health services. Students feel comfortable at school and are away from any adverse environments. The program being developed is multiple tiered and links building, school district, and ISD resources. One goal is to link together observations on students from teachers, coaches, and other staff to provide early intervention.

 

The outcomes that will be tracked are improved academics, reduced discipline, and improved teacher outcomes.