Safe Schools, Bright Futures: Preventing Violence and Cultivating Positive Climates in HCISD Secondary Schools

The Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD) is located in Harlingen, TX, a mid-sized city in deep south Texas. Serving over 16,000 PK-12 students across thirty schools, HCISD prioritizes safeguarding students’ safety above all. HCISD seeks federal funding through the BJA STOP School Violence Program to support the project titled, “Safe Schools, Bright Futures: Preventing Violence and Cultivating Positive Climates in HCISD Secondary Schools.”  
The purpose of this three-year initiative is to proactively prevent school violence and foster a positive climate in HCISD's twelve secondary schools. This will be achieved by addressing mental health needs, enhancing safety initiatives, and improving overall school climate through comprehensive staff training, educational programs for students, and the hiring of dedicated personnel. Beneficiaries include secondary school students, staff, and parents.  

HCISD’s Director of Guidance and Counseling will oversee the initiative, with involvement from key stakeholders, including the Director of Emergency Management & School Safety, Student Wellness Specialists, Drop-Out Prevention Counselors, School Counselors, Emotional Quotient (EQ) Counselors, and the two Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSWs) and School Climate Specialist hired through this grant. 

Primary activities include hiring new personnel consisting of two LMSWs and a School Climate Specialist to provide essential mental health support and reinforce safety initiatives. The new staff members will lead comprehensive training for campus personnel on topics such as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Trauma-Informed Care, anti-bullying strategies, mental health first aid, and EQ training. LMSWs will deliver direct student services, including mental health counseling, assessments, referrals to external resources, and other essential mental health support. Additionally, the project will offer educational programs and presentations on violence prevention and anti-bullying for students. Another key activity involves engaging parents through outreach efforts to educate them on the role of the LMSWs and provide support for their children's mental health needs. The initiative will also allow for the management of social-emotional learning programs to ensure implementation consistency and effectiveness across the district. Finally, LMSWs will collaborate on threat assessment meetings and promptly make referrals for mental health services as needed.