NEW! Grant-Funded Opportunity in DBT Training and Implementation Support

Dear Foundation Supporters and SBHC Sponsoring Organizations,

As you know, the COVID pandemic has caused an explosion of behavioral health needs among New York’s underserved school children. In its mission to strengthen NY’s school-based health centers, the NY School-Based Health Foundation has just received a large grant from the Affinity Legacy fund to

assist three SBHC sponsoring organizations in implementing a model known as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). We are soliciting early expressions of interest in participating in the program.

The DBT model is highly respected, well-tested, and was chosen because of its flexibility, ease of implementation, and evidence-based effectiveness. It has the potential to achieve scale by its train-the-trainer approach and applicability at the individual, group, and/or classroom level. Key to the program is training and support of behavioral health specialists and teachers in giving children tools to regulate their emotions, cope with stress, increase awareness of their actions on themselves and others, make decisions and communicate effectively.

The one-year program will be intensive and will provide resources for three SBHC sponsoring organizations operating SBHCs in the Affinity service area (NYC and Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties) including training and coaching support by DBT experts as well as funding to hire or contract for a DBT Program Manager (who may also carry a caseload) or an FTE clinician.

Two DBT models are available: clinicians only, and clinicians teaching and supporting teachers to deliver DBT in the classroom. Further description of these two models is attached. Participants will be chosen based on their capacity to implement the program, the reach of their proposed program, and the prospects for the program’s sustainability.

Please let us know your interest in participating in this program, including information about your capacity to implement the program, the number of sites that would participate and the model that would best fit your situation. Please send your response to nysbhfoundation@gmail.com by January 31.

Based on your response, an in-depth discussion will follow. We are grateful for the support of the Affinity Legacy fund and this opportunity to improve the

effectiveness of SBHCs in addressing the behavioral health needs of their children. Based on our initial experience, we hope to be able to spread the program more widely among SBHCs in the future.

Sincerely,

Ronda Kotelchuck

Board Chair

New York School-Based Health Foundation

BACKGROUND:

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) has been developed, widely-tested, and is poised to be the strategy of choice in addressing this rising tide of behavioral health demand due to its flexibility, ease of implementation, and evidence-based effectiveness. DBT has the potential to achieve scale by its train-

the-trainer approach and applicability at the group, individual, or classroom levels. Key to the program is training and support of teachers and behavioral health specialists in giving children tools to:

• Regulate their emotions

• Cope with stress

• Increase awareness of the impact of actions on themselves and others.

• Make decisions

• Communicate effectively

The two models under consideration:

DBT FOR CLASSROOM IMPLEMENTATION

DBT for Classroom Implementation: provides a broad approach to building resilience and mental wellness skills in children and adolescents. School Based Health Center (SBHC) clinicians will be trained to equip and support teachers in providing the DBT curriculum. Training for teachers is also an option. Throughout the training year, the program will enable SBHC clinicians and teachers to offer DBT training to as many classes and grades as the school and School Mental Health Teams jointly determine. The Affinity grant will provide support for school initiation meetings, training in the model, and ongoing support and consultation to ensure fidelity and successful implementation.

Funding: Grant funding will cover all trainings, supervision, materials, and meetings with teachers and SBHC clinical staff, and administration costs. The grant will provide funding to help cover one FTE DBT Manager who will organize and manage the project for your organization. This person may also carry a

caseload.

DBT CLINICAL SKILLS Training

(FOR CLINICIALS ONLY)

DBT CLINICAL SKILLS: School Based Health Center (SBHC) clinicians will be trained to conduct individual and group DBT sessions for students with emotional difficulties. The focus will be on commitment strategies, the application of DBT principles in individual counseling sessions, the use of behavioral chain analysis, and the reinforcement of DBT skills use via time-limited coaching. The goals of this model are to minimize student’s time out of class, apply skills, and limit crisis focused responding from staff. The Affinity grant will provide virtual support for school initiation meetings, training in the model, and ongoing support and consultation to ensure fidelity and successful implementation.

Funding: Grant funding will cover all trainings, supervision, materials, and administration costs. The grant will provide funding to help cover either one FTE Clinician for your organization, unbillable services such as co-facilitating a class/group, or a combination of the two.

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Check back HERE for updates on our new DBT Program!