FY2025: Supporting Students' Social Emotional Learning, Behavioral & Mental Health, and Wellness — (SEL & Mental Health) Competitive Grant

Fund Code: 0311

Purpose:

Research has shown that students' well-being is critically important to their academic and overall success. Data from various state and national sources continue to highlight the need for resources and collaboration to address the social and emotional and behavioral and mental health needs of students, families, and schools. As we continue to navigate and understand the long-term impacts of the pandemic and our country's reckoning with racial injustice on mental well-being it is critical that we consider community and system work to address the individual and varying needs across sectors and settings.

The purpose of this state-funded competitive grant program is to adapt, expand, and strengthen multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS ) to respond to the social-emotional and behavioral and mental health needs of students, families, and educators and to build strong partnerships with community-based mental health agencies and/or providers to create comprehensive mental health systems.

This grant aims to build capacity of school districts, charter schools, and educational collaboratives to do the following:

• develop comprehensive, integrated multi-tiered systems for student, family, and educator social-emotional and/or mental health supports; and
• build sustainable infrastructure to facilitate integrated coordination between school students, families, school staff, and community-based services and/or providers.

This grant supports the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (Department's or DESE's) Educational Vision , specifically efforts to "cultivate systems to support the whole student and foster joyful, healthy, and supportive learning environments so that all students feel valued, connected, nourished, and ready to learn."

Priorities:

Through this grant initiative, participating districts are asked to prioritize the following areas as they relate to social-emotional and behavioral health for students, staff, and families. Applicants are expected to propose activities that align with the priorities below.

• Racial Equity and Cultural Responsiveness: Ensure that the approach to teaching, modeling, and integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) is done from a culturally responsive lens. This includes providing professional development and coaching to staff on culturally responsive social-emotional and/or mental health practices; conducting culturally responsive, universal mental health screening and developing systems to respond to student needs in a racially equitable manner; strengthening systems to solicit student and family leadership and feedback that is fully representative of the school community including individuals who have been historically marginalized. In addition, schools and districts are expected to engage students and families to ensure that social-emotional learning efforts reflect the school and district community values and centers racial equity. This also includes approaching this work from a community lens and not just a school perspective. Lastly, schools and districts are urged to ensure that all voices are heard and consider who is being burdened by systems and policies that may mitigate harm.
• Universal Mental Health and Social Emotional Screening Systems: Ensure screenings are conducted to identify tier I, II, and/or III needs that are matched with strategic supports, evidence-based and create policies and protocols that are embedded in school culture and climate practices for sustainability and scalability efforts.
• Evidence-Based Interventions and Supports: Ensure schools utilize evidenced-based social-emotional and behavioral health interventions and supports, and that staff receive the necessary professional development and coaching to implement them with fidelity. This can include a range of efforts that include but are not limited to tier 1 (universal) supports implemented by classroom teachers and tier 2/3 (supplemental, small group, and more intensive) interventions implemented by student support staff/clinicians.
  Develop strong data systems: Ensure data is used to inform decision-making, monitor trends, and create resources to build sustainable and scalable efforts in schools and districts.
• Sustainable Systems & Partnerships: Establish and/or strengthen sustainable systems and multi-year partnerships (including students, family, community-based services and/or providers, and professional development providers, etc.).

Applicants will prioritize activities aligned, but not limited to those detailed for each of the following categories:

Coordinate Services through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (required)

A Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is a framework for how school districts can build the necessary systems to ensure that each and every student receives a high-quality educational experience. It is designed to support schools with proactively identifying and addressing the strengths and needs of all students by optimizing data-driven decision-making, progress monitoring, and the use of evidence-based supports and strategies with increasing intensity to sustain student growth. Please refer to the DESE website for further resources on MTSS: Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

• utilize an MTSS tool developed by DESE and partners as a self-assessment to guide work.
• redesign student support staffing models to support a more proactive and deliberate multi-tiered approach to social-emotional learning and behavioral health and wellness;
• create a comprehensive approach to tier 1 social-emotional learning and behavioral health;
• provide robust, evidence-based tier 2 and tier 3 supports and interventions;
• ensure all social-emotional learning and behavioral health practices, policies, and supports across all three tiers are culturally-responsive and equitable;
• develop effective planning and feedback structures with students, families, and caregivers to ensure that social emotional learning efforts reflect the school community's values and priorities;
• ensure the necessary systems are put in place to monitor implementation and sustain/scale successful practices and policies;
• provide on-going professional development (including coaching) for staff members to enhance culturally-responsive tier 1 social-emotional learning for students, and recognize and respond to mental and behavioral health challenges that may arise;
• participate in free Department-sponsored professional development (PD) to support school staff in identifying and supporting students in need of social emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health services; and
• offer other activities aligned with the priorities of the grant.

Create and sustain partnerships with Community-Based agencies this can include other Local Education Agencies to increase Access to Services and resources (required)

• work with community-based providers to identify options for increased collaboration, provision of mental health/behavioral health services on site (at school) and/or in the community;
• build infrastructure for cross-system coordination to improve integration of behavioral and mental health supports for continuity of care for children, youth and families to ensure seamless transitions between schools and communities;
• design or implement improvements to data systems and software applications to facilitate mapping of school and community-based resources, making referrals, tracking students' use of services, monitoring the impact of services, and identify implications for future services (subject to compliance with all applicable state and federal laws regarding data security and privacy);
• implement strategies and partnerships to foster sustained behavioral and mental health supports for students and families; these strategies should be aligned with locally-created action plans that extend beyond the grant period (e.g., funding startup costs for the initial offering of services on-site to students eligible for the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative or MassHealth, commercial insurance providers, or other sources that extend beyond the grant period);
• develop comprehensive systems of care through written policies and practices that are sustainable and scalable; and
• create multi-year partnership agreements with community-based and other partner organizations to support systemic approaches to address social-emotional and behavioral health needs for staff, students, and families.

Piloting Universal Mental Health Screening Systems: (optional)
note: if you have previously received funding to participate in the Universal Mental Health Screening pilot you are not eligible to apply in FY2025.

DESE will allocate at least $1,000,000 of the total available funds towards this option. Applicants may apply for up to $50,000 to support the following activities:

Definition of a Universal Mental Health Screening tool:

Mental Health Screening tools- are essential in detecting mental health disorders—like anxiety, mood disorders, stressors, and trauma—early.

• pilot/implement evidence-based, universal mental health screenings for students in kindergarten to grade 12;
• design and implement necessary data systems to collect, analyze, and report on universal screening data;
• establish protocols for mental health support teams to: analyze and respond to universal mental health screening data, monitor the impact of supports/services and make adjustments as needed; gauge implications for future strategic planning; and ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal laws regarding data security and privacy;
• other activities to support the priorities of this grant, provided that they are part of a coordinated approach to implement universal mental health screening and subsequent supports, and are either one-time activities that have a longer-term impact (e.g., professional development needs associated with mental health screening), and/or activities that have a reasonable likelihood of being continued and sustained beyond the grant period through other funding sources (e.g., funding startup costs for purchasing mental health screening, with the goal of sustaining these services through other sources after the end of grant funding).

Applicants choosing to participate in piloting universal mental health screening will also be expected to compile and submit an end of grant report no later than June 20, 2025, which will include the following data*:

• number of students who received mental health screenings, delineated by demographic group and grade level;
• number of students requiring additional support or follow-up screenings;
• length of time between the initial screening and subsequent support services provided;
• number of students referred for additional support services outside of the school district.
• Types of screening tools used.

Additional information that will be captured in report:

• description of the participants in the pilot program;
• summary of the data collected from program participants; and
• recommendations to further expand the availability of mental health screenings for students

* The Department with support from its vendors will provide a template for this report

Coaching will also be offered to grantees who choose this category.

Competitive priority will be given to:

• Districts and schools in chronically underperforming status and the Strategic Transformation Region.
• Districts and schools in which a new emergency assistance family shelter (or hotel used as a shelter) is/was opened by the Commonwealth and propose activities that support the behavioral, mental and emotional health needs of the students placed there;
• Applicants with limited access to mental and behavioral health services and/or limited existing financial resources;
• Applicants that have conducted a self-assessment aligned with a multi-tiered social-emotional and behavioral health framework and created a plan to address their identified areas of need. Some example assessments include Safe & Supportive Schools Framework & Self-Reflection Tool, and the School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation System (SHAPE), developed by the National Center for School Mental Health etc.;
• Applicants that are participating in one of the following networks and/or MTSS Academies; or Social, Emotional, and Behavioral or Systemic Student Support (S3) Academies;
• Competitive priority will be given to districts, or districts with one or more schools, where the proportion of high needs students enrolled in school year 2023-2024 was at least 56% (the 2024 statewide average). Note: "high needs" students are students who belong to one or more of the following student groups: students with disabilities, English learners (ELs) and former ELs, and students from low income families.

Eligibility:

Massachusetts public school districts, charter schools, and educational collaboratives are eligible to apply.

Funding Type:

State: 7061-0028

Grant awards are contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act.

Funding:

Approximately $5,600,000 is available.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Applicants may apply for up to a total of $100,000 for implementation of activities proposed to support the required priorities above. Applicants that choose to participate in a Universal Screening Pilot may apply for up to an additional $50,000.

Applicants' requests for funding should be commensurate with the scope of activities proposed and consider that grant awards are anticipated to be made official in late-November or early-December.

All grant awardees will be expected to participate in a in-person grant kickoff meeting, two networking meetings and one in-person end of year event that will be facilitated by the Department (DESE) and/or its professional development partners during the course of the grant.

Note: Efforts proposed through this grant must be supplementary and complementary to (and not supplant) what is funded through other grants/contracts.

Fund Use:

These funds must be used in ways that are aligned to the grant purpose and priorities described above and that have reasonable likelihood of being sustained (and/or having impact) beyond the grant period.

Fund use may include, but is not limited to:

• Contracting with partners who provide one or more of the following services:
  • evidence-based universal mental health screening tools, data analysis, and support;
  • the design and implementation of integrated student support systems to assess the strengths and needs of all students and develop academic and social-emotional plans for students;
  • develop and support bridge programs for school re-entry after prolonged absences to promote healing, wellness, and academic success;
  • other services aligned with the priorities of this grant.
• Professional development and coaching for staff (educators, student support staff, administrators, etc.);
• Salaries for employees or contracted staff who will be directly supporting strategies outlined in the plan;
• Stipends to support planning, meetings, travel, or local professional development (including DESE-sponsored opportunities); Note: out of state travel is not allowable for this grant. Travel for professional development should be directly related to grant requirements and priorities.
• Relevant resources and/or materials;
• Contracted services with community-based partners; and
• Partnership coordination activities.

MTRS is Not an allowable expense on this state-funded grant.

Project Duration:

Upon approval – 6/30/2025

Pending appropriation and meeting grant requirements grantees may be eligible for a one-year continuation grant in FY2026.

Program Unit:

Student and Family Support

Contact:

Chris Pond

Date Due:

Monday, October 21, 2024, 5:00p.m. Eastern*

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00p.m. Eastern on the date due.

*All responses must be received by the due date listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.

Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date listed in the RFP.

Required Forms:

All forms are submitted through GEM$.

Additional Information:

The Department will hold a Question and Answers Session via webinar. Use the online registration to register. During this session, the Department will answer applicants' questions. Questions may be submitted in advance of the session to achievement@mass.gov with the subject line "SEL and Mental Health grant question". Due to the competitive nature of this grant, questions and responses will be shared during this session so that all potential applicants have the opportunity to hear the information.

Submission Instructions:

The FY2025 0311 Supporting Students' Social Emotional Learning, Behavioral & Mental Health, and Wellness — (SEL & Mental Health) Competitive Grant Competitive Grant will be submitted in the Department's new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.

• Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application by the due date listed in the RFP.

The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.

New Organizations: Grant Submission requires applicants to have their organization established in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.

Failure to provide DESE with GEMS Request Form at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/ approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These form can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: September 12, 2024