Beatty, other schools receive funding for mental health programs.

State funding for mental health programs in schools, like the AW Beattie Career Center at McCandless, helps maintain a positive atmosphere on campus.

Beatty received a $70,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Crime and Delinquency Commission, approved in April through the PA School Safety and Security Commission, which covers public and nonpublic schools.

Beatty will be able to use the funding to host guest speakers for students and professional development for staff, said Thea Holzworth, assistant director of curriculum.

“We know that mental health is so important, so we are finding ways to support our students and staff in our mental health efforts,” she said.

This includes using funds for programs such as the AHN Chill Project and a 33-foot mobile mental health unit that the campus recently hosted, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Pirates. AHN explains that Chill Mobile uses “mindfulness-based exercises” to give students and staff the skills to “identify, discuss, and respond positively to stress.”

Beatty school counselor Sarah Goodyear said Chillmobile uses a standardized, evidence-based approach to teaching strategies for recognizing and managing stress and anxiety.

The A.W. Beatty Career Center is an extension of nine school districts: Avonworth, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel Area, Hampton Township, Northgate, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, and Shaler Area.

The Career Center offers 19 programs that provide students with educational experiences that prepare them for college and employment. This program fulfills elective credit requirements for students in grades 10 through 12.

Beatty was one of many schools across the state to receive grants to address mental health, safety and security.

The North Allegheny School District was awarded two grants totaling $247,455 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, according to Kermit Hauser, the district’s finance director and treasurer. This includes $45,000 in merit grants and $202,455 in mental health grants.

He said the funds could be used over a two-year period until December 31, 2025.

“This meritorious award provides funding to districts to address physical safety and security, and the mental health grant supports mental health initiatives,” Hauser said. .

For the 2022-2023 school year, North Allegheny School District received a total of $225,811 in safety and mental health grants. School districts will have access to this funding through mid-2025.

Grants were also provided to eligible nonpublic schools to address school violence and school mental health. The awards include $75,000 to Blessed Francis Seelos Academy in McCandless and Eden Christian Academy, which has campuses in Ross Township, Pine County, Ohio, according to the Pennsylvania Crime and Delinquency Commission website. Academy includes $5,000.