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State mental health director outlines Project AWARE, Medicaid school mental health services and workforce gaps
Summary
Laurel Lentz of the Department of Mental Health briefed the committee on Project AWARE (a five‑year SAMHSA grant) and the Success Beyond 6 Medicaid school mental health program, describing pilot districts, evaluation metrics, and workforce and funding limits that leave some school-based positions unfilled.
Laurel Lentz, director at the Department of Mental Health, told a legislative committee that Project AWARE — a five-year federal grant from SAMHSA — is being used to pilot school mental health systems in three local education agencies and to build district-community leadership teams.
“This is an exciting, federal award,” Lentz said, describing Project AWARE’s focus on universal screening, mental health literacy and improving referral pathways so students identified with social, emotional or behavioral needs can access appropriate supports.
Why it matters: Lentz and committee members noted high rates of poor mental health among Vermont students and workforce challenges that reduce the capacity of schools to deliver mental health services. Lentz said Medicaid-funded school mental health (Success Beyond 6) remains an important funding source, but that it covers only Medicaid-enrolled students and that many local contracts…
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