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Anna Maria College has been awarded a U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance grant and is launching a new initiative to partner with schools in central Massachusetts. The Supportive School Safety Intervention Project is designed to enhance school safety by promoting mental wellness, preventing violence, and fostering safe and supportive learning environments. A central goal of this initiative is to increase mental health literacy and provide training on how to recognize and respond to mental health challenges in youth, ultimately helping to prevent self-harm or harm to others.

Through the Anna Maria College Mental Health Training Institute, we will collaborate with schools in Central Massachusetts to deliver training and integrate community resources for school personnel, parents, students, first responders, school-based counselors, school resource officers, and other community stakeholders. Together, we aim to help schools grow as safe, caring communities of learners. As part of this initiative, we will offer both Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)—targeted to adults working with children—and teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA), which equips high school students themselves. Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized, evidence-based training program developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. It emphasizes practical skills, increases mental health literacy, reduces stigma, and teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. A key component of our program is that various stakeholders train together, ensuring consistent messaging and fostering stronger networks of support.


If your school is interested in collaborating, please email STOP@annamaria.edu for more information.

This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-24-GG-04371-STOP awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.