Public schools, especially in rural communities, often lack the sustainable mental health infrastructure needed to address rising youth behavioral health challenges. Project AWARE, a federal program implemented by the Michigan Department of Education, is meant to confront this issue across the state—primarily by raising awareness of youth mental health issues, equipping school staff with the skills to identify and respond to students' mental health needs, and connecting young people to support services. For the past five years, the University of Michigan's Youth Policy Lab (YPL) has measured Project AWARE's effectiveness in three rural communities that have limited access to mental health care services: Copper Country, Delta-Schoolcraft, and Van Buren.
State policymakers and school districts can use YPL's findings as a blueprint for replicating the program elsewhere in Michigan.
"We found that Project AWARE played a pivotal role in transforming student mental health services in rural communities by providing essential resources, training, and collaborative support structures," said Catherine Asher, assistant research scientist at the Youth Policy Lab and Co-Investigator of the evaluation. "These changes expand the capacity of rural schools and communities to address the excess demand for mental health support when existing resources and capacity are strained."
Importantly, participating Project AWARE communities have substantially increased the number of students referred to and receiving mental health services. The initiative was able to achieve these results by hiring dedicated staff, implementing screening tools, and developing structured referral systems. Specifically, through Project AWARE, the three communities:
- Trained 2,100 individuals in mental health support efforts, nearly 75% of whom were not mental health practitioners.
- Referred almost 2,400 students to mental health services, far exceeding expectations.
- Connected approximately 75% of referred students to meaningful mental health services, surpassing the annual target of 50%.
Dayna Browning, a former Project AWARE Manager in Copper County, said that Project AWARE was crucial in helping her community develop long-term mental health infrastructures.
"In our region, we [now] have a more effective mental health system, with a comprehensive resource network and enhanced training capabilities," she said. "A project that emphasizes training and allocates significant funding creates a cyclical effect, as trained individuals often go on to influence others, including future generations. Without Project AWARE, much of this work in the area might not have occurred, or at least not as smoothly as it has."
Drawing on the evidence collected, the project team identified several recommendations for future large-scale initiatives seeking to increase capacity and quality of mental health support for youth:
- Conduct a community readiness assessment prior to Project AWARE implementation;
- Facilitate collaboration between participating sites as well as past/current cohorts;
- Build internal staff capacity by implementing "train-the-trainer" models;
- Ensure appropriate technology that is flexible and meets the needs of diverse communities; and
- Balance autonomy and support through clear communication.
Overall, YPL research demonstrates that when school and community organizations coordinate efforts, communities better understand mental health needs, and more youth receive care and access to supportive services.
>>> Read "Michigan project AWARE Final Grant Report 2020-2025"
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