OK AWARE

Overview

Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education), funded by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), aims to develop sustainable systems supporting student and staff resilience across Oklahoma through a partnership of state and local systems.

Project AWARE West was the first AWARE project in the state supporting Elk City, Weatherford, and Woodward public schools from 2018-2023. Project AWARE East (2020-2025) serves Ada City, Atoka, and Checotah Public Schools. Project AWARE South (2021-2026) serves Davis, Lawton, and Sulphur public schools. Maryetta public schools (2022-2026) and Tulsa public schools (2023-2028), were also awarded AWARE grants directly by SAMHSA to serve the students in their districts.

The purpose of Project AWARE is to 1) increase awareness of mental health issues among students 2) provide training to school personnel and other adults who interact with students to detect and respond to mental health issues; and 3) connect students, who may have behavioral health issues, serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness, and their families to needed services. All of the projects, in different phases of their grant cycle, have a strong focus on implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. The work of MTSS aims to provide tiered interventions for students in academics, behavior, and mental health at universal, group, and individual levels.