MDE Funding
In 2022, Michigan Governor Whitmer and the Legislature appropriated $15M in the Department of Education’s School Aid budget (Section 97f) to fund the implementation of Prevent 2 Protect: The Adolescent Targeted Violence Prevention Project. Prevent 2 Protect, a collaboration between Michigan State University’s Department of Psychiatry and Safe and Sound Schools, is a five-year, $15M pilot project to prevent acts of adolescent targeted violence, increase school safety, and support Michigan school communities through evidence-based intervention, consultation, education, and research.
(1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2022-2023 only an amount not to exceed $15,000,000.00 to pilot a cross-system intervention approach to identifying and supporting middle and high school students that are determined to be at risk for violence through a psychiatric or psychological assessment.
(2) Funding allocated in this section must be awarded to a public research institution and must be used for the pilot program described in this section.
(3) The pilot program must be a collaboration between a public research institution and a national law enforcement foundation and must include all the following:
(a) The use of case management, intensive mentoring, and technical assistance to reduce the threat of violence in school communities in the state and to provide early interventions for participating youth
(b) Implementation in at least five communities from regions across the state.
(c) A third-party evaluation to assess outcomes and inform potential statewide implementation.
(d) The provision of research-informed training and technical assistance to law enforcement, schools, and community organizations to avert school violence and support young people in the state.
(4) The funds allocated under this section for 2022-2023 are a work project appropriation, and any unexpended funds for 2022-2023 are carried forward into 2023-2024.
The purpose of the work project is to increase school safety by identifying and supporting middle and high school students that are determined to be at risk for violence. The estimated completion date of the work project is September 30, 2027