Taylor County Preventing School Violence

Taylor County School District will expand the capacity of the district to implement school climate initiatives, improve safety, and increase access to mental health care for students. This will be accomplished through three activities. First, the district will hire a lead school climate specialist and interventionist (lead interventionist) and two additional school climate specialists and interventionists (interventionists). Second, the district will identify and implement two new evidence-based practices along with the expansion of an existing evidence-based practice, Second Steps. Third, the district will acquire and use technology to connect students directly to mental health care and intervention services, as well as educate students by using strategies that improve school climate such as social-emotional learning and behavior intervention. The second strategy is to improve the skills and knowledge of teachers, staff, and administrators on preventing school violence including strategies to improve school climate. Activities to deliver this strategy focus on training for teachers, staff, and others. Trainings will include Train the Trainer and Mental Health First Aid, as well as a plethora of trainings provided during the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency’s (GEMA) School Safety Conference.