Pasadena ISD's BJA FY 23 Preventing School Violence: BJA’s STOP School Violence Program Grant

Pasadena Independent School District (PISD) proposes to implement the (Em)Power to Prepare and Prevent (P2P) School Violence project. The purpose of the project is to improve K-12 school security by providing students, teachers, and staff with the tools needed to recognize, respond quickly to, and prevent acts of violence and ensure a positive school climate. Specifically, the project will allow Pasadena ISD to continue to improve and expand our Framework for Safe and Supportive Schools by supporting and (Em)Powering students and staff (including law enforcement) to collaboratively participate in safety Preparedness and violence Prevention on campus and in the community. The project includes three main objectives. Objective 1 -Add/Implement Police Mental Health Collaborative Components via Training of Law Enforcement Officers, Administrators/Staff, and Co-Responder Model (School Safety Liaison Position). Objective 2- Expand Safety Training/Empower Students to Participate. Objectives 3- Contribute to Strength and Body of Knowledge and Increase Project Sustainability.
Expected outcomes are to improve School Climate and Culture via mental health, crisis, and threat training for staff and law enforcement; Improved safety via less acts of violence and threat related incidents as well as focus on correction over punishment, i.e., plans of action or referrals over arrests; increase student participation and ownership in School Safety; and collect and share knowledge on implementing and sustaining a collaborative, multidisciplinary, long-term school safety program.
Overall, the (Em)Power to Prepare and Prevent project will address BJA STOP Grant Area 3 (Train school personnel and educate students on preventing school violence, including strategies to improve a school climate), Area 4 (Non Training Activities – Enhancing Data Collection to Support Transparency and Tracking Measures), and Area 5 (Hiring school support personnel directly supporting the prevention of school violence).

Additionally, the project addresses the following: (Address outreach and/or public awareness campaigns specifically tailored to historically underserved and marginalized communities) and (iv - Responding to individuals in mental health crisis or with disabilities, viii -Addressing implicit bias, and ix -Officer wellness and mental health).