The Substance, Abuse, and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently granted $500,000 to fund Project PEARLS across 9 Iowa City Community Schools.
The grant will be spearheaded by Gerta Bardhoshi, College of Education associate professor of counselor education, Ebonee Johnson, College of Public Health assistant professor of community and behavioral health, and Kari Vogelgesang, College of Education clinical associate professor, and will fund Project PEARLS (Prepare, Engage, Assess, Respond, Link, Sustain). The project will bring mental health awareness training curriculum in the local Iowa City community.
The following is from the University of Iowa College of Education article:
Project PEARLS will focus on nine schools - six elementary schools, one junior high school, and two high schools - with high rates of racial/ethnic minority students and free and reduced lunch recipients. More than 700 school personnel, one-third of all Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) employees, are identified to receive training over four years.
“Anyone that is working in a school building – whether you are a teacher, school counselor, bus driver, cafeteria worker, or custodian – will be able to receive this training,” says Bardhoshi, one of the project’s co-directors.
At the forefront of school mental health efforts, ICCSD implements a multi-tiered system of support emphasizing the importance of evidence-based universal practices and interventions to engage students and families. Additionally, ICCSD continues to provide training, such as Youth Mental Health First Aid, to its educators. The launch of Project PEARLS builds upon these efforts and leverages the sustained partnership between ICCSD and the College of Education.