Temple University was awarded $1.5 million in federal funding for its Philadelphia Healthy and Safe Schools (PHASeS) program, according to an announcement by Rep. Brendan F. Boyle on April 8.
The funding aims to support student well-being in public elementary and middle schools in North Philadelphia by expanding behavioral health services provided through the PHASeS program.
“I am here for a very happy reason, and that is to announce I’ve secured $1.5 million for Temple University and its Philadelphia Healthy and Safe Schools program,” said Boyle. “I applaud everyone involved at Temple University for creating this program and sustaining it, and I hope that these resources will prove to be of great assistance.”
The funds were included as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act through the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. The PHASeS initiative is housed within the Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s Center for Health Justice and Bioethics at Temple.
Nicolle Strand, director of the Center for Health Justice and Bioethics, said the new funding will help expand PHASeS’ reach: “I’ve seen firsthand how valuable the PHASeS program is,” said Strand. “The team provides social and emotional support to kids, parents, teachers, staff and principals. They change school culture, transforming them into safer places, where adults are sensitive to the trauma that kids face. PHASeS help us step toward our goal of achieving health justice for all. We’re so grateful to accept these funds. Thanks to Congressman Boyle’s advocacy, even more members of our community will benefit from the PHASeS program.”
Since 2018, trauma specialists from PHASeS have partnered with Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School and Kenderton Elementary School; W.D. Kelley School joined in 2021. With this new funding as part of a partnership with the School District of Philadelphia’s Temple Partnership Schools Network, Tanner G. Duckrey School will be added beginning fall 2026.
Mary Beth Hays, director of PHASeS program at Temple’s Center for Health Justice and Bioethics said: “I’m honored to lead an impactful initiative that is currently transforming the landscape of education in North Philadelphia… This vital program is dedicated to creating trauma-sensitive environments that profoundly enhance the well-being of both staff and students.”
Amy Goldberg, Marjorie Joy Katz Dean at Lewis Katz School of Medicine added: “The PHASeS program reflects the power of collaboration across Temple’s schools… We are especially grateful to Congressman Brendan Boyle for securing critical funding that allows this work to grow and continue making a meaningful impact in our community.”
Strand also emphasized during her remarks how data helps drive programming decisions: “Our partnership with Temple’s College of Education and Human Development allows us to robustly evaluate the program… learn how much it’s impacting lives.” Since 2021 researchers have collected hundreds of survey responses from teachers/staff; conducted over eighty interviews; observed more than one hundred thirty hours assessing implementation—measuring impact on trauma awareness among educators as well as school climate.
