Contact Information
Wyoming Project AWARE
In August 2020, the Wyoming Department of Education was awarded a five year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in order to implement Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) in our state. Project AWARE was established in 2014 as a part of a Federal safer schools initiative. The current program provides school-based mental health services, with parental consent, substance abuse education, violence and bullying prevention education and family engagement. The Project AWARE Grant is designed to supplement existing mental health services within the community and remove potential barriers to care: financial, transportation, etc. by providing funding through the grant.
The WDE SAMHSA Team has identified four goals for Project AWARE:
- Increase access to mental health and substance abuse services for school aged youth.
- Increase district’s student, parent, and family knowledge of mental health and substance abuse services available, develop student skills that will promote resilience, prosocial behaviors, and prevent youth violence through outreach, engagement, and training.
- Increase each district’s capacity to recognize and appropriately respond to mental health and substance abuse needs of students through professional development and training.
- Develop state and district level infrastructures to foster wellness in school-aged youth and their families.
Project AWARE currently has services in the following districts:
- Campbell County School District #1
- Carbon County School District #1
- Fremont County School District #1
- Park County School District #1
- Sweetwater County School District #1
- Uinta County School District #1
Additionally, the WDE SAMHSA team oversees school-based services, following the Project AWARE model, in the following counties through additional Federal grant funding:
- Big Horn County School District #1
- Big Horn County School District #2
- Big Horn County School District #3
- Goshen County School District #1
- Niobrara County School District #1
- Park County School District #16
- Sweetwater County School District #2
Mission:
Wyoming Project AWARE’s mission is to reduce the impact of behavioral health conditions and substance abuse within Wyoming communities.
Vision:
To provide evidence-based practices and leadership through appropriate programs, information, data, funding, and partnerships to support behavioral health and substance use education, prevention, treatment, and recovery in order to improve community health.
Suicide Postvention Guide
SAMHSA Surveys
The SAMHSA survey is administered in years one, three and five of the grant as a requirement of our grant objectives. The purpose of the survey is to collect information about district students so we can better understand their experiences, opinions, and knowledge in three areas:
- School and Community Experiences
- Attitudes about Substance-Related Issues
- Knowledge of Mental Health Issues.
The information collected will help the district plan and implement strategies for strengthening students’ school and community experiences, and educating youth about mental health and alcohol/drug related issues.
- High School Survey – English
- High School Survey – Spanish
- Middle School Survey – English
- Middle School Survey – Spanish
- Elementary School – English
- Elementary School – Spanish
- Spanish Parent Active Consent
Crisis Prevention Resources:
Resiliency
- Parent’s Guide to Mental Health
- Building Resilience in Children
- Resilience for teens
- Resilience guide for parents and teachers
Violence and Bullying prevention
Student Life Resources:
Substance Use Prevention Resources:
