SOLANO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Solano County Office of Education was recently awarded a $4,000,000 federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant's focus is to advance healing and improve social determinants of health among youth and families in communities that have experienced community violence, disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other significant collective trauma over the past 24 months.

“SCOE is honored and well-positioned to be entrusted with such an important grant that will support building capacity for increased mental health supports in our school communities. Schools across Solano County have seen an increase in student mental health and wellness needs, and we will use this grant to continue to be a conduit and leader in this work for students and families,” commented Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson.

As part of the grant work, SCOE will engage the community to plan and deploy culturally relevant, trauma informed prevention, intervention, and post-vention strategies that build school and community capacity, expand service access, and promote healing and healthy development. SCOE will place particular focus on those disproportionately impacted in the past two years including Black, Latino/a, LGBTQ students and families who are more likely to experience mental health symptoms and crises. Prevention activities will be targeted to the whole community.

The goals of the project are to decrease incidents of community violence and the impact of collective trauma, while increasing the knowledge and capacity of schools and other youth-serving entities. The grant will also help increase the knowledge and development of mental health interns at both the graduate and paraprofessional level. SCOE is excited to utilize this grant to further mental health and wellness supports for Solano students, families and educators.