Binghamton University’s Community Schools (BUCS) program has been awarded a significant five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, totaling over $4.5 million, to enhance mental health services in Chenango County. The funding, part of the Mental Health Service Provider Demonstration Grant Program, will support the initiative titled Empowering Rural Communities: Promoting Mental Health, Equity, and Wellbeing Through a University-assisted Community Schools Approach. The project aims to increase access to social work services for students and families in the Norwich and Oxford school districts, benefiting approximately 2,310 individuals.
Chenango County, which has been designated a Health Professional Shortage Area, faces significant challenges in meeting the mental health needs of its residents. The county’s lack of primary care and mental health services has placed a burden on local families, schools, and community organizations, making it difficult to address complex student needs with limited resources. The new funding will enable Binghamton University to expand its university-assisted community school approach, a model that leverages the expertise of higher education in collaboration with local schools and community partners.
Laura Bronstein, the founding director of BUCS and dean of Binghamton University’s College of Community and Public Affairs, expressed her enthusiasm for the project’s expansion into Chenango County. “Increasingly, children are being left behind due to challenges that even the best teachers can’t address on their own,” Bronstein said. “This includes issues like anxiety and depression, violence, poverty, and other factors that disrupt students’ ability to focus on learning. This new grant allows us to provide much-needed support for mental health challenges that have surged among youth, particularly since the pandemic.”
The Empowering Rural Communities initiative will fund the creation of several key positions, including a full-time project director and two community schools coordinators, one for each district. The project director will oversee the regional effort, partnering with local agencies and schools to assess current resources and identify ways in which university-assisted strategies can enhance mental health and well-being in the area. The community school coordinators will work directly within the schools, overseeing teams of social work interns who will collaborate with school staff to address mental health needs.
In addition to expanding direct services, the grant will also fund specialized training for social work interns, provided by SUNY Morrisville and Binghamton University. These interns will receive hands-on training in social work practices relevant to school settings, supported by faculty expertise from both universities. The funding will also help create pathways for SUNY Morrisville students to pursue Binghamton University’s master’s program in social work, further bolstering the region’s mental health workforce.
Luann Kida, executive director of BUCS and principal investigator on the project, expressed her personal connection to the project, noting that she is a long-time resident of Chenango County. “As a social worker with more than 20 years of experience, I am beyond excited to bring these essential resources to my home community,” Kida said. “I look forward to collaborating with my neighbors to build on the expertise we’ve developed in Broome and Tioga counties, while leveraging the power of partnerships to serve Chenango County.”
The project will also receive support from Kelley Cook, an assistant professor in Binghamton University’s Department of Social Work, who will contribute her clinical social work experience to the initiative. Cook will help develop the training curriculum for the social work interns in collaboration with SUNY Morrisville. Tara Edmunds, BUCS’s director of strategic partnerships, will assist with intern recruitment and mentor the community school coordinators as they implement the project.
The Empowering Rural Communities initiative is set to launch in the 2025-2026 school year, with planning and staff recruitment already underway. BUCS will collaborate closely with local school districts, DCMO BOCES, and Chenango County Behavioral Health Services to ensure the program’s success and extend its impact across the region.
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