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Project AWARE update: 15 students receiving school‑based services; average referral‑to‑intake 18 days
Summary
Project AWARE community project manager told the board 15 students were receiving school‑based mental‑health services as of March 1, with an average referral‑to‑intake time of 18 days (shorter than the 28‑day federal standard); funding for the grant ends in December 2024.
Christina Bullington, community project manager for Project AWARE, updated the Goshen County School District #1 board on the program’s in‑school mental‑health services.
As of March 1, Bullington reported 15 students were actively receiving services, five were awaiting intake, 12 had refused or had no contact from parents, and six had been discharged. She said the district’s average time from referral to intake for Project AWARE was 18 days, compared with a federal standard of 28 days from request to first clinician contact.
Bullington described additional supports available through Project AWARE, including Care Solace, a statewide care‑coordination service that typically matches individuals with providers within about a week. She said Project AWARE also provides prevention programming, youth mental health first‑aid training for staff (two sessions remaining this school year), handouts, classroom strategies and family‑engagement activities; she invited board members to a JCK Foundation presentation for grades 9–12 and a parent night on April 2.
Board members questioned the clinical meaning of "discharge," which Bullington defined as mutual cessation when treatment goals are met or services are no longer requested by the parent. The board also heard that Project AWARE funding will not continue past December 2024 and staff are exploring ways to sustain services through partners and local providers.
Bullington provided counts from local provider responses and school counselors—three local organizations reported a combined 148 clients ages 5–18; school counselors and social workers identified 186 students receiving counseling in or outside the school day. She stressed the need for continued funding and community coordination to meet demand.
Next steps: district staff will continue coordination with Health Wellness Solutions and local providers to sustain services after the grant expires and report options to the board.
