[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5814-5815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2853]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration
Notice of Intent To Make Funds Available for School Violence
Prevention and Early Childhood Development Activities Under the Safe
Schools/Healthy Students Initiative
AGENCIES: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program; U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health
Services (CMHS); U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); U.S. Department of Justice, Office
of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
ACTION: Notice of intent to make funds available to enhance and
implement comprehensive community-wide strategies for creating safe and
drug-free schools and promoting healthy childhood development.
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[[Page 5815]]
SUMMARY: The Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and
Justice are collaborating to provide students with enhanced
comprehensive educational, mental health, law enforcement, and as
appropriate, juvenile justice system services and activities designed
to ensure the development of the social skills and emotional resilience
necessary to avoid drug use and violent behavior and the creation of
safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools.
Through a single application process, successful applicants will
receive support for up to three years. Awards will be made to
approximately 50 sites, ranging from up to $3 million per year for
urban school districts, up to $2 million per year for suburban school
districts, and up to $1 million per year for rural school districts and
tribal schools designated as local education agencies by their states.
DATES: It is anticipated that the program solicitation and application
will be available no later than March 15, 1999.
CONTACT: Detailed information regarding the Safe Schools Healthy/
Students Initiative is available at:
Internet: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS
Fax-on-Demand: Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (800) 638-8736
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority
This action is authorized under the Omnibus Consolidated and
Emergency Supplemental Appropriation Act of 1999, Pub. L. 105-277 and
the Public Health Service Act Section 501(d)(5).
Background
The purpose of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative is to
assist schools and communities to enhance and implement comprehensive
community-wide strategies for creating safe and drug-free schools and
promoting healthy childhood development. Eligible activities may
include, but are not limited to, programs such as mentoring, conflict
resolution, after school, multisystemic therapy, functional family
therapy, social skills building, school-based probation, student
assistance, teen courts, truancy prevention, alternative education,
developing information sharing systems, staff professional development,
hiring additional school resource officers, and treatment efforts that
involve the juvenile justice system and schools. Interventions selected
must have evidence of effectiveness and developmentally appropriate.
To be eligible for funding, applicants will be required to
demonstrate evidence of a comprehensive community-wide strategy that at
minimum consists of six general topic areas: (1) School safety, (2)
drug and violence prevention and early intervention programs, (3)
school and community mental health preventive and treatment
intervention services, (4) early childhood psychosocial and emotional
development programs, (5) education reform, and (6) safe school
policies. The plan must be developed by a partnership comprising the
local education agency, local public mental health authority, local law
enforcement agency, family members, students, and juvenile justice
officials. The local education agency will be required to submit formal
written agreements signed by the school superintendent, the head of the
local public mental health authority, and the chief law enforcement
executive to be certified as an eligible applicant. Applicants will be
strongly encouraged to demonstrate partnerships with businesses, social
services, faith communities, and other community-based organizations
that support the educational, emotional and health needs of students in
the school district.
Applicants will be required to conduct a basic assessment of the
community risks and assets related to children and adolescents and have
a plan for continual updating of this assessment. Assessments shall
include, but are not limited to, rates of the following: students
engaged in alcohol and drug use and violent behavior, firearms brought
to school, incidents of serious and violent crime in schools, suicide
attempts, students suspended and/or expelled from school, students
receiving probation services, and students in juvenile justice
placements. Applicants will be required to provide an assessment of the
community resources available for children and adolescents, including
number of after school programs, percentage of youth served by programs
to build social skills, and number and quality of community mental
health and social service organizations available to provide services
to children and adolescents.
Applicants will be required to develop a plan for assessing the
community-wide strategy and agree to participate in a national
evaluation of this initiative. Applicants that do not have the
capability to collect data or develop a plan for assessing their
strategy will be encouraged to join with a local university, research
organization, or other appropriate entity to assist with these
activities.
Dated: February 1, 1999.
Richard Kopanda,
Executive Officer, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-2853 Filed 2-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P
