A Comprehensive Approach to Youth
Violence Prevention
The SS/HS Initiative is a unique Federal grant-making program designed to prevent
violence and substance abuse among our Nation's youth, schools, and communities.
The Federal Government is committed to reducing school violence. The SS/HS Initiative is an unprecedented collaborative grant program
supported by three Federal agencies-the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice.
The SS/HS Initiative seeks to develop real-world knowledge about what
works best to promote safe and healthy environments in which America's children can learn and develop.
Since 1999, 365 urban, rural, suburban, and tribal school districts-in collaboration with local
mental health and juvenile justice providers-have received grants using a single application process.
These grantees are implementing comprehensive programs that address all of the following five elements:
- Element 1: Safe school environments and violence prevention activities.
- Element 2: Alcohol and other drug prevention activities.
- Element 3: Student behavioral, social, and emotional supports.
- Element 4: Mental health services.
- Element 5: Early childhood social and emotional learning programs.
How It Works
Through grants made to local education authorities, the SS/HS Initiative provides
schools and communities across the United States with the benefit of enhanced school and community-based
services in an effort to strengthen healthy child development, thus reducing violent behavior and
substance use.
The school-based community partnerships include rural, urban, suburban, and tribal projects. School
districts submitted comprehensive plans created in partnership with law enforcement officials,
local mental health authorities, and often with juvenile justice officials and community-based
organizations as well.
Plans are required to address five elements: a safe school environments and violence prevention activities, alcohol and other drug prevention activities, student behavioral, social, and emotional supports, mental health services and early childhood social and emotional learning programs.
Read more about the latest SS/HS grant awards:
Twenty-nine School Based Community Partnerships to Receive SS/HS Grants
The Federal Partners
The Federal Government is committed to reducing school violence. Therefore, the U.S.
Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice are collaborating to fund school and youth
violence prevention grants under the SS/HS Initiative.
These Federal agencies are working together to ensure that Federal funding is channeled to schools and communities
that can work together to provide comprehensive educational, mental health, social, law enforcement, and juvenile
justice system services that promote healthy child development and school environments that are safe, disciplined,
and drug free.
Click on the following links to visit the Federal partners Web sites:
- U.S. Department of Education
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/index.html?src=oc
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Mental Health Services
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov
- U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
http://ojjdp.gov
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Apply for SAMHSA Grants Online
SAMHSA announces that organizations can now electronically find and apply for competitive federal grant opportunities at www.grants.gov.
Need More Information?
Please contact the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and reference the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative: 202-260-3954.
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