Virginia Tech awarded more than $960,000 risk grant

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has awarded Virginia Tech a $960,685 (£477,358) grant to assist with ongoing recovery efforts on campus, as well as to help develop a model for assessing and responding to at-risk behaviors in a higher education setting.

In April 2007, Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., was victim to the most deadly campus-based shooting in U.S. history. A 23-year-old student shot and killed 32 students, including himself, and physically injured 27 other people.

Secretary Spellings said: "In the wake of this horrible tragedy, the Virginia Tech community joined together to support and help each other. With this grant, we want to make sure they have the continued support they need to recover, rebuild and prevent future acts of violence."

Virginia Tech's grant—"Assessing and Responding to At-Risk Behaviors in a Higher Education Setting: A Virginia Tech Demonstration project"—will be used, among other things, to:

1. Establish a sustainable institutional infrastructure for identifying; assessing and responding to at-risk students, faculty and staff with appropriate mechanisms for mental health services and/or referrals

2. Conduct an initial and follow-up needs assessment to determine mental health needs of staff and students

3. Provide case management and services coordination for at-risk students, faculty and staff

“In the wake of this horrible tragedy, the Virginia Tech community joined together to support and help each other. With this grant, we want to make sure they have the continued support they need to recover, rebuild and prevent future acts of violence.

Secretary Spellings

4. Provide education and outreach to the university community to identify and serve at-risk students, faculty and staff

5. Engage in national discussions on assessing and responding to at-risk individuals in a higher education setting.

To support these goals, Virginia Tech will engage in a variety of activities over the proposed 18-month grant period. Some of the key activities include:

1. Establishing a task force to review current institutional policies and procedures

2. Identifying appropriate on- and off-campus mental health services

3. Providing education on trauma recovery and threat assessment

4. Distributing the findings on appropriate models for threat identification and assessment.