Division: Educational Services

Office:  Student Support Services

• View Published NGO Document (Microsoft Word)
• Questions and Answers from the School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) Grant Technical Assistance (TA) Session
• Awardee List

Purpose: 

The intent of the School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) Grant Program is to support eligible LEAs in the recruitment, placement, hiring, and retention of school-based mental health professionals. Through this grant program LEAs will train new and existing school-based mental health services providers, expand the pipeline and increase the diversity of high-quality, trained providers, while addressing the shortages of mental health professionals in schools. As used in this NGO, “school-based mental health services provider” means a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker. Additionally, the grant program is seeking to increase the number of diverse school-based mental health service providers who are recruited, placed, hired, and retained in LEAs.

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has established a five project period grant program. The School-Based Mental Health Grant Services (SBMHS) Grant Program is a limited opportunity open to 203 existing New Jersey LEAs, or LEA consortia, that have been pre-identified by the NJDOE. These LEAs have a higher than the recommended student to mental health service provider ratio for at least two different types of mental health service provider positions (i.e., school counselor, school social worker, or school psychologist) and where more than 20% of the student population receives free and reduced lunch (FRL). A list of eligible LEAs may be found in Appendix A of the NGO.

Maximum award size is dependent on student enrollment. Applicants may apply for $125,000 - $375,000 in project period 1. Based on the availability of combined federal and state funding, project period 1 will begin June 5, 2023 and will end on November 30, 2023.

Eligible Agencies: NJ LEAs or LEA Consortia

Approximate Number of Awards: 10-25         Grant Program Type: Competitive

Total Amt. Available: $2,930,000                     Application Due Date: 5/4/2023