Superintendent Arntzen Opens the 2025 Enhancing Mental Health Awareness and Resiliency Grant

• Brian O'Leary
• October 28 2024

HELENA - Superintendent Arntzen is pleased to announce the launch of the 2025 Enhancing Mental Health Awareness and Resiliency mini-grant initiative. These $1,000 - $15,000 grants are supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Project AWARE grant awarded to the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) in 2020. This initiative aims to raise awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth and equips educators with the training needed to effectively recognize and address these challenges. Grant applications will open on November 1, 2024, and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested districts must complete the application and budget submission process through the designated application portal.

“These Project AWARE grants reflect my Montana Hope initiative, which strengthens academic achievement through a focus on student mental health and community engagement,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Nearly one-third of our students say that their mental health was poor most of the time or always. Providing more training for our teachers to recognize the mental health needs of our children will help develop the full educational potential of all Montana students.”

The mini-grant program offers several funding options to enhance mental health awareness and support within schools:

• Staff Training: Funding for training programs designed to enhance staff awareness and understanding of mental health and behavioral health needs. These evidence-based trainings must align with definitions provided by SAMHSA, enabling educators to address these needs and improve educational outcomes.
• Train-the-Trainer Programs: Support for participation in 'train the trainer' or facilitator training events. This option allows districts to build and sustain the capacity to have trained professionals who can subsequently deliver training to other staff members, ensuring ongoing effectiveness and knowledge dissemination throughout the organization.
• Community Engagement Events: Funding to develop and implement events or educational presentations for students, parents, and community members. These initiatives aim to increase awareness and understanding of mental health issues and resilience strategies, fostering a supportive environment that promotes mental well-being for all participants.
• Curriculum Purchase: Support for the purchase of mental health-related curricula (e.g., whole child skill development, bullying prevention, suicide prevention). To qualify for this option, the curriculum purchase must be accompanied by staff training and a clear implementation plan.

The project period for this mini-grant will run from January 1, 2025, to September 1, 2025. For detailed information on grant guidelines, eligibility criteria, and funding limitations, please refer to the grant guidance document here. 

Participating school districts have made remarkable progress in delivering various mental health awareness and training programs, enhancing their capacity to identify and respond to behavioral health issues. Since September 2020, OPI and its district partners have conducted training sessions benefiting over 70,000 individuals directly involved with school-aged youth. These sessions cover a wide array of topics aimed at improving responses to students' mental health needs. The introduction of this mini-grant will further extend the reach and impact of the 2020 Project AWARE grant, benefiting schools across Montana.

For additional questions, please contact Courtney Hubbs, Mental Health and Wellness Specialist/Project AWARE Program Manager at Courtney.hubbs@mt.gov or call (406)438-0473.