Funded through a grant from the US Department of Education, ARROW is an opportunity for the District of Columbia to launch recruitment and retention activities that build knowledge, skills, professional opportunities and job satisfaction for school behavioral health professionals to enter and remain in the workforce through collaboration with local education agencies (LEAs), District colleges and universities and school behavioral health organizations and partners. Learn more below:
ARROW GO! Award Program
The Advancing the Recruitment and Retention of Our Workforce (ARROW) GO! Award Program provides funding for eligible District of Columbia school-based behavioral health providers to participate in national in-person learning opportunities.
Current opportunities are available for:
- School social workers to attend the 2025 National School Social Work Conference in Atlanta, GA on April 9–12, 2025. (Application closes Friday, Feb. 21!)
Future opportunities will be available for:
- School-based behavioral health clinicians (i.e., school social workers, school psychologists, or licensed counselor) to attend the Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health, location TBD and anticipated for Dec. 2025. (Application opens June 2025.)
- School psychologists to attend the National Association of School Psychologists 2025 Annual Convention in Chicago, IL on Feb. 24-27, 2026 – pending funding availability. (Application opens Sept. 2025.)
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a school-based behavioral health clinician (i.e., school social workers, school psychologists, licensed counselor).
- Must be placed full-time at DC public or public charter schools serving pre-K 3 through grade 12 and employed by the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), a DC public charter school, the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) School Behavioral Health Program, or a community-based organization (CBO) that participates in the DBH Comprehensive School-Based Behavioral Health System.
- Must apply for an opportunity that matches the applicant’s licensure/discipline (e.g., a school psychologist is ineligible to attend the National School Social Work Conference).
- All applicants must complete the ARROW GO! Award Program application and submit a letter of support from their direct supervisor to OSSE at [email protected] by Friday, Feb. 21 at 11:59 p.m.
- Selected applicants may attend only one (1) opportunity between April 2025 and Feb. 2026.
For questions about the ARROW GO! Award Program, view our informational two-pager or contact [email protected].
Youth Mental Health Ambassador Program
In partnership with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Our Minds Matter presents the Youth Mental Health Ambassador program for District of Columbia public charter high schools. This is a student-led club that focuses on promoting social connectedness, increasing prosocial skills, practicing self-care and healthy habits, and increasing help-seeking behaviors.
Participating student ambassadors complete the Be There Certificate training. These trained student ambassadors lead clubs and schoolwide campaigns to increase mental health literacy. Per school approval, student ambassadors can earn community service hours.
Clubs must convene at least four times during the school year and shall be supervised by two school-based staff; it is recommended that one staff member is trained in mental health. Each supervising staff member will receive a stipend in the amount of $1,250.
Participating schools receive training, technical assistance, and consultation from Our Minds Matter to support successful club implementation. See this one-pager for more information. Interested school leaders should submit an application. Reach out to [email protected] or [email protected] with any additional questions.
First Year Cadre
The ARROW First Year Cadre is for school-based behavioral health providers, i.e., school social workers, school psychologists and counselors (school counselors and licensed counselors), who are new to working in a school-based setting!
The First Year Cadre is an opportunity for providers in their first year working in a school-based setting to build foundational skills necessary to be successful in the school environment. Cohort 2 applications have now clsoed. Please see this one pager for more information and the eligibility criteria.
Questions? Reach out to [email protected].
ARROW Career Center
The ARROW Career Center is a resource for aspiring school-based behavioral health providers in the District of Columbia to view internship and job postings and learn about what it is like to work in a DC public or public charter school. Please visit the ARROW Career Center here, and if you are a current or prospective school-based behavioral health provider or student/trainee, visit this page regularly for updates.
If you are a DC public or public charter local education agency (LEA) or school or a community-based organization (CBO) that provides school-based behavioral health services in partnership with the DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), submit employment opportunities using this form: ARROW Career Center Submission Form.