Program Overview

Project Rural Access to Interventions in School Environments (RAISE) grew as a response to the critical need for mental health professionals in rural Tennessee school districts. Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) developed a proposal to the School Based Mental Health Services Grant program at the U.S. Department of Education. The Tennessee proposal was funded in 2023.  This grant is dedicated to the recruitment and retention of professionals in school psychology, school counseling, and school social work within our rural Tennessee school districts. Project RAISE is aiding in rural communities being equipped with mental health professionals to provide services for all students.

CLEE’s Role in Project RAISE 

Project Management: CLEE provides project management for Project RAISE by providing programmatic oversight, implementing supports, paying stipends, coordinating experts, providing fiscal accountability for the grant, and providing ongoing collaboration around priorities.  

Event Planning: CLEE organizes a variety of events, including orientations for interns and their supervisors, as well as continuous professional development sessions. CLEE provides all event planning and management within this project to ensure a seamless experience for all participants.

Project RAISES’s Impact

Responsible for the placement, recruitment, and/or retention of 160 School-Based Mental Health providers across 42 Tennessee districts, serving over 202,000 students.

Events

Mental Health Collaborative – May 2026
Details coming soon. Stay tuned for updates!

Project Rural Access to Interventions in School Environments (Project RAISE) programs are currently available in the following Tennessee counties (counties in orange have programs; the darker the orange, the greater the number of programs in that county).