Thursday, March 14, 2024
The Get Kids Ahead (GKA) Initiative provides funding to Wisconsin schools to help build and sustain Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems (CSMHS). A CSMHS provides a continuum of services and supports to promote student and staff mental health and wellbeing. In 2022 and 2023, a total of $30 million in GKA funds was allocated to 450 Wisconsin school districts, independent charter schools, and tribal schools. Please see this handout for an overview of how schools across Wisconsin are using their GKA funding to support their school mental health work. Key strategies include increasing student and family access to therapy services, school mental health professional staffing, social emotional learning, staff training and professional development, mental health screening, family engagement and support, and programming related to suicide prevention, bullying prevention, and school safety. Please feel free to reach out to DPI school mental health consultants at getmhs@dpi.wi.gov for questions or consultation about spending GKA funding or building a CSMHS.