UCO receives $4.98M grant from OSDE for mental health training

The University of Central Oklahoma received a $4.98 million grant from the United States Department of Education (USDE) which seeks to address the mental health needs of students and offer educators at Moore Public Schools to advance their qualifications.

The Donna Nigh Department of Advanced Professional and Special Services, housed in UCO’s College of Education and Professional Studies, has partnered with Moore Public Schools through the Growing Response Intervention Teams (GRIT) project. The goal is to grow the number of mental health professionals within the district, which currently does not have a satisfactory number of mental health professionals, according to UCO Professor Cheryl McGee, Ed.D.

“The American School Counselor Association wants the ratio from school counselors to students to be 250 to one,” said McGee. “In Moore, we are 468 students to one [counselor].”

Project GRIT seeks to rectify this problem through training initiatives.

McGee, who’s background involved grant research and proposals, sought out grants for UCO’s Education Department, and wrote the proposal for this grant from USDE.

There are three key objectives in the proposal, as stated by the university.

• Graduate level-cohorts: UCO will provide UCO will provide a series of faculty-led cohorts throughout the five-year project focusing on school counseling certification and mental health licensure for qualifying educators in Moore Public Schools.
• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Development: Through coaching, MTSS teams will be formed and trained to provide multi-level interventions and support for students.
• Trauma-Informed Professional Development: Educators will receive training to better understand prevention and intervention strategies, equipping them to support student wellness and improve overall school culture.

“The district will be able to participate with training and coaching aligned to how to best serve students with regard to mental health,” said McGee.

In regards to the UCO student community, McGee seeks to grow the profession as a whole and how mental health pertains to students. She seeks to rectify the mental health crisis in Oklahoma.

In a statement released by UCO President Todd Lamb, he said, “As Oklahoma’s third largest and only public metropolitan university, the University of Central Oklahoma is uniquely prepared to help teachers grow in their profession and, by extension, help Oklahoma’s next generation thrive as they learn skills needed to be successful citizens.”

“UCO was founded 134 years ago as the state’s teachers’ college, and since then, we have been unmatched in our capacity to develop and prepare educators to meet Oklahoma’s critical workforce needs. We appreciate the U.S. Department of Education’s recognition and support of our faculty and the GRIT program,” continued the statement.

According to the final abstract for the proposal, the proposed project outcomes include growing mental health providers, retain educators within the district, provide ongoing training and support and allow educators and mental health professionals to use the learned skills to intervene to support students’ overall wellness.

UCO is the only university in Oklahoma to receive this particular funding for school-based, mental health services.