The city’s $4 million Children’s Mental Health Initiative grant will run for four years and support comprehensive behavioral health services for youth with serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness. City officials said ZIP codes 73127, west of the city and just north of Interstate 40, and 73108, on the south side, will be areas of focus. The program is intended to help eligible young people elsewhere in the city as well, Assistant City Manager Jason Ferbrache said.

OKCPS will receive $7.5 million over five years through the federal Project AWARE program. The district plans to use the funding to develop school-based mental health systems and build on services already offered to students.

The grants come from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The city and district awards have different timelines, with the combined funding totaling $11.5 million.

The investment follows an assessment of the local mental health landscape by the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative. CEO Zack Stoycoff said the group’s analysis found children were struggling across the city, though needs were greater in some areas than others.

District Superintendent Jamie Polk cited a 2023-24 survey of students in grades six, eight, 10 and 12: 55% reported moderate to high levels of psychological distress. Polk said the figure should guide adults’ work rather than define students.

“Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and ready to learn,” Polk said, adding that some students arrive at school carrying significant challenges.

The grants direct federal resources toward both school-based support and community services, while the city’s planned geographic focus recognizes that access and need can vary across neighborhoods.