The Colorado Department of Education currently has two rounds of federal funding from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) running through the 2025/2026 school year. This funding helps build the state's capacity to support student mental health.

Project AWARE works to build a coordinated school behavioral health system so every Colorado student can succeed in school and life.

We partner with organizations across the state, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Violence and Injury Prevention/Mental Health Promotion Branch and the Behavioral Health Administration's Office of Children, Youth and Families, to strengthen mental health awareness and response statewide.

Project AWARE 2022 LEA partners:

• Poudre School District
• Southern Ute Education Department
• Westminster Public Schools

Project AWARE 2020 LEA partners: 

• Archuleta School District
• Ignacio School District 11-JT
• Colorado Springs D11 Schools
• Littleton Public Schools

An earlier round of Project AWARE funding ran through 2019, partnering with Aurora Public Schools, Fountain-Fort Carson School District, and Thompson School District.

Beyond our local partners, Project AWARE works across CDE to improve school climate, safety, and social-emotional learning through a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) approach — building capacity for effective school and community mental health support.