AWARE Texas – Advancing Wellness & Resiliency in Education

AWARE Texas seeks to achieve intermediate and long-term outcomes for Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education (AWARE) through sub grants and collaboration with education service centers (ESCs) and local education agencies (LEAs) to accomplish the SAMHSA purpose, goals and activities. Goals were approved for implementation by

the Texas Education Agency in partnership with the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health (TIEMH).

Texas AWARE State Management Team Partners:

Department of Family & Protective Services

Department of Juvenile Justice

Health & Human Services Commission

South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center

Texas Education Agency

Texas Workforce Commission

The University of Texas at Austin—Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health

Unified Services for All Children Advisory Council

Texas AWARE Local Educational Agencies & Community Partners

AWARE Texas Expansion Consortium (2021) seeks to achieve intermediate and long-term outcomes for Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education (AWARE) through sub grants and collaboration with local education agencies (LEAs) and local mental health authorities (LMHAs) to accomplish the AWARE goals and activities. The Project AWARE Expansion Consortium deploys evidence-based mental health resources in 3 central Texas LEAs. These LEAs were chosen due to higher rates of community impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic and high rates of population growth in these central Texas AWARE districts.

Education Service Center 13

• Manor Independent School District
• Elgin Independent School District
• San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District               
• Integral Care
• Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Center 
• Bluebonnet Trails Community Services

The original A.W.A.R.E. Texas grant was awarded to Texas from 2018 to 2023 in an effort to support the mental health and wellness of students and families in the Texas Gulf Coast, impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Below list the LEA and community partners for AWARE Texas Gulf Coast. 

Education Service Center 3

• Port Aransas Independent School District
• Behavioral Health Center of Nueces County
• Refugio Independent School District               
• Woodsboro Independent School District
• Gulf Bend Center

Education Service Center 4

• Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District
• The Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD

Education Service Center 5

• Bridge City Independent School District
• Spindletop Center

AWARE Texas Goals

Increase and improve access to culturally competent and developmentally appropriate school and community-based mental health services.

 Increase awareness and identification of mental health issues among adults working with young people.

Help students develop skills that promote resilience, self-regulation and pro-social behaviors, avert development of mental health disorders and prevent youth violence.

Develop an infrastructure that will sustain services at LEA/ESCs and build statewide capacity for promoting mental health awareness and evidence-based practices.