School-Based Mental Health Services Grant

The School-Based Mental Health Services Grant, administered by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW), offers a targeted opportunity to improve student mental health outcomes by increasing the presence of credentialed school psychologists in high-need Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in Ohio's Appalachian region. Funded through federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Education, this initiative is part of the broader project titled "Bridging the Gap in Appalachia Ohio: An Initiative to Train, Recruit, and Retain School Psychologists." The total funding available under this opportunity is $6,272,000 for one Educational Service Center (ESC), distributed over a four-year period from March 2026 through December 31, 2029. The program seeks to address the significant shortage of credentialed school psychologists across 59 high-need LEAs, identified based on rural designation, high poverty rates, and unfavorable student-to-psychologist ratios exceeding the nationally recommended 500:1 standard. Applications are open to Ohio ESCs not currently receiving federal school-based mental health grants and located in the eligible region. This funding is designed to enhance recruitment and retention strategies through financial incentives such as hiring bonuses, hiring offsets for LEAs, tuition reimbursement for interns, and support for the respecialization of professionals into school psychology roles. Additionally, the program mandates one full-time staff member dedicated solely to the administration of the grant at the selected ESC. Eligible costs under the grant include a wide range of activities supporting recruitment and retention efforts. These include tuition reimbursement for interns ($22,000 per intern), respecialization tuition for mental health professionals transitioning to school psychology roles ($66,000 per person), and hiring and retention bonuses for credentialed professionals ($2,000 and $1,500 respectively). Other covered expenses include administrative costs (capped at $200,000), outreach and recruitment marketing, travel reimbursement for professional development, and costs associated with hosting booths at relevant conventions. The funding may not be used for unapproved items such as food, promotional giveaways, or unrelated administrative expenses. Applicants must coordinate a Local Collaboration Committee consisting of LEAs, ESCs, and mental health stakeholders. This committee will guide project implementation and ensure community alignment. Additional project components include the creation of a community of practice model for ongoing peer support and professional development, support for telehealth implementation, and mechanisms to monitor program effectiveness and impact. The grantee must maintain regular communication with DEW, attend scheduled meetings, and submit quarterly reports addressing implementation progress, fiscal updates, and performance metrics such as the number of professionals hired and retained, and service ratios achieved. Applications must be submitted through the ED STEPS One Funding Application (OFA) system. The application window opens March 11, 2026, and closes at 4:00 p.m. on March 27, 2026. Following a technical and rubric-based review, award notifications will be issued on April 10, 2026. Proposals must include a cover letter, project narrative, recruitment and retention plans, sustainability strategies, project metrics, a Gantt chart or equivalent project schedule, detailed budget narrative, and personnel assignments with acknowledgment letters. The program is not recurring and must be fully executed within the designated four-year period. All awarded funds must be encumbered by September 30, 2029, and fully expended by December 30, 2029. Awarded psychologists are expected to begin delivering services by September 27, 2026. The comprehensive approach, strategic financial investments, and rigorous evaluation framework are all intended to build sustainable mental health infrastructure across Ohio’s underserved Appalachian LEAs.

Detail how your project builds sustainable partnerships with LEAs and universities; integrate professional development strategies.