WALTON COUNTY · LOCALdocument

Local Impact

Project AWARE Mental Health Initiative in Walton County Schools

Original title: AWARE - Walton County School District

mental health education grants student services school safety

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The Frame

What this does

The district will receive federal funding through September 2028 to hire a Mental Health Clinician, a Student Engagement Specialist, and a Project Manager to support student wellness and school safety.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Walton County students

Students will have access to new mental health programming and support services.

School personnel

Staff will receive training to better identify and respond to student mental health issues.

Families of students

Families will be connected to behavioral health services through the new program staff.

What changed

No recent stage movement in the current record.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Walton County School District has received a federal grant to expand mental health awareness, prevention, and intervention services for students. The five-year program, known as Project AWARE, funds three new staff positions and aims to connect students and families with behavioral health resources.

Key Facts

Walton County School District was awarded a competitive federal grant for Project AWARE in October 2023.
The grant funding period extends through September 2028.
The district is using the funds to hire three new staff positions: a Mental Health Clinician, a Student Engagement Specialist, and a Project Manager.
Project AWARE stands for Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education.
The grant aims to increase mental health awareness, train school personnel to respond to mental health issues, and connect families to services.
Walton, Jackson, and Barrow County school systems are the three Georgia districts receiving this specific funding.
The program is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Project AWARE?

It is a federal initiative designed to improve mental health awareness, prevention, and intervention services for school-aged youth.

How long will this program last in Walton County?

The grant funding is provided over a five-year period, ending in September 2028.

Who can I contact regarding Project AWARE?

You can contact the Project AWARE Manager, Dr. Kraig Howell, or the Student Engagement Specialist, Ashlyn Balon, at the Walton County School District.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Expansion of Mental Health Staffing

The district is formalizing its mental health support structure by creating three dedicated, grant-funded roles.

Walton County School District

Connected Entities

organizationWalton County School District“Recipient of the Project AWARE grant.”Map →

organizationJackson County School System“Neighboring district also receiving grant funding.”Map →

organizationSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration“The federal source of the Project AWARE funding.”Map →

organizationBarrow County School System“Neighboring district also receiving grant funding.”Map →

personDr. Kraig Howell“Project AWARE Manager.”Map →

organizationNortheast Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency“The agency that named WCSD as a grant recipient.”Map →

personAshlyn Balon“Student Engagement Specialist.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.walton.k12.ga.us

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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