Following the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012, President Obama announced that Vice President Biden would lead an effort to address the gun violence that was seizing our nation. On January 16, 2013 the President announced his plan to protect our children and communities by reducing gun violence. His plan, called Now Is The Time, calls for legislative action that would help keep guns out of the wrong hands, ban assault and high-capacity magazines, make our schools safer, and increase access to mental health services.

In 2014, Project AWARE was born out of the legislation to increase students' access to mental health services. The five-year Federal grant, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, was awarded to 20 states, including Georgia. Through an application process, the Georgia Department of Education selected three Local Education Agencies to develop processes and procedures for connecting youth and families to community-based mental health services. 
 
Since concluding the Project AWARE grant in 2019, GSCS has continued to increase mental health awareness and services provided to students to address mental health and behavioral needs.