Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES STOP School Violence Program

Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES’ Category 2 BJA STOP program will serve at-risk students and their educators in 25 school districts across Wayne, Seneca, and Ontario Counties, including: Bloomfield, Canandaigua, Clyde-Savannah, Dundee, Gananda, Geneva, Gorham-Middlesex, Honeoye, Lyons, Manchester-Shortsville, Marion, Naples, Newark, North Rose-Wolcott, Palmyra-Macedon, Penn Yan, Phelps-Clifton Springs, Red Creek, Romulus, Seneca Falls, Sodus, Victor, Waterloo, Wayne, and Williamson. The student population in these districts has a prevalence for social-emotional and mental health high risk as self-reported through annual surveys. Issues include depression, suicide ideation, and self-injury, as well as bullying and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which are directly linked to disruptive behavior and violence. The project is designed to provide the staff who work with these children the tools necessary to create a positive school climate, therefore preventing and reducing school violence. WFLBOCES will provide participating districts and schools with training and coaching supports to implement Social Emotional Learning (SEL) to include Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) teams, Restorative Practices implementation, Psychological Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MSBR) to train school personnel on preventing student violence. The relationship between schools and parents to improve school safety will be developed through Parent Teacher Culturally Responsive Home Visit trainings, meant to create an open dialogue between families and schools regarding student mental health and/or safety concerns. Teen Mental Health First Aide (tMHFA) Train the Trainer will be provided to develop a cadre of tMHFA trainers regionally, ensuring sustainability, and providing high school students with the skills they need to recognize mental health issues in their peers, and the ability to assist that peer in getting help. We will also train adults in our region in yMHFA and aMHFA. Additionally, we will provide I Love U Guys crisis response and reunification training to WFLBOCES school staff and emergency responders  with clear protocols for handling crises and ensuring the safety and emotional well-being of students and staff during safety events.