Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Safe & Supportive Schools: Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.184X | ED GRANTS 100422 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 100422 002

The Mental Health Service Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant Program (Assistance Listing 84.184X) is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) under the Safe and Supportive Schools portfolio. The program is designed to respond to persistent shortages of school-based mental health service professionals by funding competitive, partnership-driven projects that expand the pipeline of trained providers and help place them into schools that need them most. The official requirements and full details are published in the Federal Register, and applicants are expected to rely on that notice (along with the Department's Revised Common Instructions for discretionary grants) for the controlling rules on eligibility, application preparation, submission procedures, priorities, and performance measures.

At its core, MHSP funds innovative partnerships that train "school-based mental health services providers" as defined in section 4102 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended. The program's main goal is not only to increase the overall number of qualified professionals entering school settings, but also to improve the diversity of the workforce so it better reflects and serves student populations, particularly in communities facing the greatest resource constraints. The emphasis on "demonstration" highlights that projects are expected to show workable, scalable models for recruiting, training, and placing mental health professionals in school systems, rather than simply supporting routine operations.

A key structural requirement is the partnership model. Applicants must bring together (1) one or more high-need local educational agencies (LEAs), or a State educational agency (SEA) applying on behalf of one or more high-need LEAs, and (2) one or more eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs), as defined in the official notice. This arrangement reflects the program's intent to link school staffing needs directly with graduate-level preparation programs, so that universities and school districts co-design training experiences that align with real-world school practice and lead to employment in schools and LEAs.

The program prioritizes hands-on preparation in high-need settings. Funded partnerships must create meaningful opportunities for postsecondary graduate students in school-based mental health fields to be placed in high-need schools served by the participating high-need LEAs. These placements are meant to satisfy the practical training components students must complete for their degree or credential, such as required field work, clinical hours, internships, practica, or similar supervised experiences. In other words, MHSP supports a "train where the need is" approach, building a pathway from graduate preparation into employment in the same communities that are experiencing shortages.

In addition to graduate placements, the notice indicates that grantees may choose to strengthen longer-term workforce pipelines by developing mental health career pathways that start earlier than graduate school. Examples mentioned include introducing pathways as early as secondary school through career and technical education (CTE) opportunities, or building paraprofessional support degree programs through local community colleges or technical colleges. This flexibility signals that MHSP can support both immediate staffing strategies (placing graduate trainees in schools now) and broader workforce development strategies (creating earlier entry points and stepwise credentials that eventually feed into professional roles).

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number ED GRANTS 100422 002 and is categorized as a discretionary grant. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, along with other entities as clarified in the official eligibility language (especially relevant because applications must be submitted as required partnerships with high-need LEAs or an SEA acting on their behalf). The Department anticipated up to 250 awards according to the opportunity summary, though specific funding amounts and any maximum award information would need to be confirmed in the Federal Register notice (the summary field shows an award ceiling of 0, which typically indicates that the ceiling is not captured in the synopsis rather than that no ceiling exists).

The published timeline for this cycle stated that applications became available on October 4, 2022, with a deadline for transmittal of applications on November 3, 2022. To support prospective applicants, the Department scheduled pre-application webinars on October 12 and October 19, 2022, at 3:00 pm Eastern Time, which is often where agencies clarify program intent, common pitfalls, and how to interpret specific application requirements. The primary program contact listed was Tawanda Avery at the U.S. Department of Education, with inquiries directed to Mental.Health@ed.gov and a phone number provided in the notice.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a workforce and capacity-building initiative: it aims to expand the supply of trained, high-quality school-based mental health professionals by funding partnerships that connect graduate training programs with high-need school districts, require supervised placements in high-need schools, and optionally build earlier career pipelines through secondary and community college pathways. For anyone preparing an application, the Federal Register notice and the Department's common instructions are the key references for the exact definitions of "high-need LEA," "high-need school," "eligible IHE," required project elements, allowable activities, and evaluation and reporting expectations.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Safe & Supportive Schools: Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.184X" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.184.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 04, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 03, 2022 Applications Available October 4, 2022. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications November 3, 2022. Pre-Application Webinar Information The Department will hold pre-application meetings via webinar for prospective applicants on October 12th and 19th, 2022, at 300 pm Eastern Time. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Tawanda Avery, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E244, Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone (202) 987-1782 Email Mental.Health@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 250 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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