Grant Details

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Authority

Summary

History of Funding

$100,000,000 was available in FY2024-2025. Allocations can be seen on page 17 here: https://www.pccd.pa.gov/Funding/Documents/Funding%20Announcements/FY24-25%20School%20Safety%20and%20Mental%20Health%20Grants%20FINAL.pdf

A total of $32,179,000 was made available in FY2023-2024. Awards can be viewed here: https://www.pccd.pa.gov/schoolsafety/Documents/School%20Safety%20Award%20Documents/School%20safety%20awards_1.pdf

Up to $190,000,000 was available in FY2022. Funding allocations for FY2022 can be found on page 19 of the application guidance here: https://www.pccd.pa.gov/schoolsafety/Documents/School%20Mental%20Health%20Safety%20and%20Security%20Funding%20Announcement%20FINAL.pdf

2020 awards can be seen here: https://www.pccd.pa.gov/AboutUs/Pages/Press%20Releases/School-Safety-and-Security-Committee-Approves-Over-$60-Million-in-School-Safety-Grants.aspx

An interactive map of grant-awarded projects may be found at: https://www.pccd.pa.gov/Funding/Pages/Grants-App.aspx

Additional Information

The committee may award grants to school entities for a wide range of safety, security, and mental health initiatives, including:

• Conducting approved safety and security assessments.
• Implementing conflict resolution, restorative practices, and positive behavior support frameworks.
• Supporting school-based diversion programs and hiring qualified staff to run them.
• Establishing peer helper programs and delivering evidence-based curricula focused on violence prevention, mental health, dating violence, self-care, and suicide awareness.
• Enhancing classroom management, student conduct policies, and districtwide assessments of behavioral risk factors.
• Developing and carrying out research-based violence prevention strategies addressing mental health needs, bullying, and other risk factors.
• Creating or updating comprehensive safety, emergency preparedness, and all-hazards plans, including drills with local responders.
• Purchasing and implementing security technology (e.g., metal detectors, lighting, surveillance, emergency communications, AEDs, electronic locks, trauma kits) and training staff in their use.
• Establishing identification systems for students, staff, and visitors.
• Providing specialized training for staff and students, including SAP team training, early intervention skills, and referral processes.
• Expanding school-based counseling services and funding mental health professionals or contracted providers.
• Improving student discipline management systems.
• Training staff in positive behavior supports, de-escalation, trauma-informed practices, and appropriate crisis response.
• Funding training and compensation for school security personnel and certified mental health professionals.
• Administering evidence-based ACEs screenings and delivering trauma-informed counseling when needed.
• Implementing trauma-informed education approaches, such as:
  • Increasing access to trauma support and behavioral health services.
  • Collaborating with behavioral health professionals and community organizations.
  • Providing mental health first aid training and activities promoting student well-being.
  • Offering trauma-informed curricula and services for students and families experiencing or at risk of trauma.
• Supporting programs that reduce community violence through expanded trauma-informed services, coordinated interventions, mentoring, and school–community–law-enforcement collaboration.
• Implementing threat assessment requirements under Article XIII-E.
• Expanding school-based mental health telemedicine, including necessary equipment.
• Providing technical assistance for insurance billing related to mental health services.
• Building or expanding statewide frameworks such as SAP, PBIS, and MTSS.
• Offering evidence-based training that helps staff and students identify signs of anxiety, depression, suicide risk, or self-harm.
• Strengthening partnerships with nonprofits or libraries for out-of-school programming for at-risk youth.
• Coordinating mental health services across local and county agencies.
• Providing online mental health tools, peer support, and therapeutic applications for students.
• Purchasing lockable cell phone bags in conjunction with a district-wide policy restricting phone use during the school day.
• Establishing or enhancing cybersecurity protections, including penetration testing, cybersecurity training, law-enforcement collaboration, breach response planning, vendor-supported risk assessments, and implementing recommended security upgrades.

Expenses that fall outside the scope of the grant may be deemed ineligible. The SSSC and PCCD have previously identified the following items as not allowable:

• Retractable safety batons for classroom staff
• Framework for Understanding Poverty books or workbooks
• Tactical handcuffs or nylon restraints
• School safety hotlines
• AR-15s, M1As, or similar long-gun weapons (unless part of the standard issued equipment for school police or school resource officers)

Certain items are permitted only when purchased specifically for use by law enforcement personnel (school police officers or school resource officers):

• Body-worn cameras, with submission of the law enforcement agency's body-camera policy
• Tactical gear used for on-site active-shooter training (e.g., simunitions, protective gear); may also be allowable for security guards if the budget clearly documents that training will be conducted by law enforcement

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