District receives grant for chemical health support for students

Hennepin County awarded Bloomington Public Schools a $255,000 grant for chemical health awareness through prevention, intervention, and support. The grant provides ongoing funding for the district’s Chemical Health Plan, which outlines a series of goals to meet student needs through ongoing staff development, school-based counseling and support, and consultation and care coordination with licensed professionals.

Additionally, the funds will provide licensed drug and alcohol counselors free of cost to all students, and additional chemical health training for staff to increase surveillance and response to chemical health issues.

“As a district, we are so grateful for the opportunity to support students struggling with chemical health concerns,” said Director of Health Services, Hannah Hatch. “The grant will allow us to eliminate barriers for students struggling with substance use and misuse, while also equipping our staff to support specific chemical health concerns.”