Funds sought for youth school program

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Local community coalitions are looking for funds to support the implementation of a youth behavior and prevention program in Fayette County schools.

The Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board is working with the Fayette County Faith in Recovery Prevention Committee to apply for grant funds to implement the PAX Good Behavior Game in first through third grades in Fayette County schools.

The PAX Good Behavior Game is a universal lesson plan developed to help teachers in the classroom when a student becomes disruptive and interrupts learning.

According to articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, students who were taught the game in elementary school had less aggressive behavior and lower rates of alcohol, cigarette and drug use later in life.

The game is not currently used in Fayette County schools but that could soon change will the help of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program comes from the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the U.S. Department of Justice.

A four-step calculation process determines the amount of JAG Program money allocated to each state. The calculation is based on a three-year average of violent crime rates and population.

From that amount, the state receives about 60 percent and 40 percent trickles down to the local level for funding programs.

States with cities that report higher crime rates and have a higher population are eligible for more JAG Program funding than states with less crime and population, but regardless of crime and population rates, Title 42 of the United States Code requires that each state receives at least a minimum award of .25 percent of the JAG Program’s allocation. In 2016 the minimum state award was $687,266.

States are also eligible for bonus funding. The state of Ohio, for the year 2016, was awarded nearly $5 million, or $4,971,782. Local governments were allocated with $3,314,521.

That equates to the state of Ohio and local agencies receiving about $102.92 in federal JAG Program funding for each crime committed, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Unlike a lot of grants, a local non-profit is not required to match the JAG Program funds in order to receive the award.

The Faith in Recovery Prevention Committee, which includes representatives from dozens of local community organizations, released a recent letter in support of the county receiving local funds from the JAG Program:

“Considering the ongoing fight of the Opioid epidemic, leading to numerous other criminal acts (e.g. human trafficking, theft, and violent crimes), our organization feels this grant is necessary to assist the Paint Valley ADAMH Board in developing community partners to further assist in efforts to provide support for the children impacted most by this epidemic.”

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Funds sought to help start behavior program in elementary schools

By Ashley Bunton

[email protected]

Ashley may be contacted by calling her at (740) 313-0355 or by searching Twitter.com for @ashbunton

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