Shaheen Applauds Federal Funding Headed to Franklin to Address the Youth Mental Health Crisis and Enhance School Safety

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, applauded $830,778 in federal funding headed to the City of Franklin from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Students, Teachers, Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program Competitive Grant to help build the capacity of the School District’s Office of School Wellness. The funding, which Shaheen helped secure with a letter of support, will help expand efforts to address student mental health crises, raise community awareness and cultivate supportive environments inside and outside of Franklin’s schools.

“Our schools are on the frontline of the youth mental crisis and need the preventative resources to support every student’s well-being in and out of the classroom,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was proud to support Franklin’s grant application to bring more resources to its wellness program and I’m thrilled this competitive funding will help build on an already successful strategy to meet student mental health needs and foster safer learning environments.”

The Franklin School District’s Office of School Wellness oversees the social and emotional learning of students and has provided interventions and guidance at the schoolwide and individual levels. The STOP School Violence Program Competitive Grant will help the School District build on these efforts and would rely on a Multi-Tiered System of Support framework that focuses on student wellness through youth engagement, resilience-building, community involvement, school staff training and trauma response.

Shaheen has spearheaded efforts to address increased youth mental health needs in New Hampshire, securing approximately $74 million in additional funding for Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grants and School-Based Mental Health Services grants in the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bills. The bill also includes Shaheen-led language directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on barriers for youth in need of mental health services, in particular those crossing state lines for post-secondary education. 

Earlier this year, Shaheen visited Franklin High School to learn about the school’s innovative approach to ongoing challenges like teacher shortages, including its unique, direct partnership with Lakes Region Community College (LRCC). The school not only provides transportation to and from LRCC classes but also offers some classes taught on site at the high school.   

###