U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly welcomed new federal funding for the Indiana State Department of Health. The $1 million grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, will support the improvement of school security through the development of threat assessment and crisis intervention teams, anonymous reporting systems, and training for students, school personnel and local law enforcement officers.
Senator Donnelly said, “Every student deserves to feel safe at school. This grant will provide Hoosier communities with the tools they need to recognize, prevent, and respond quickly to threats. This is an important step toward ending school violence in our communities.”
The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program supports state and local efforts to prevent and reduce school violence. The program addresses training school personnel and educating students to prevent student violence; developing and operating anonymous reporting systems against threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and websites; and developing and operating school threat assessment and crisis intervention teams that may include coordination with law enforcement agencies and school personnel, as well as specialized training for school officials to help intervene and respond to individuals with mental health issues that could impact school safety.
