PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Rhode Island Department of Education is taking applications for a new statewide training group meant to help schools recognize and respond to students' mental health problems, the department said Friday.

The group, called the Commissioner's Care Team, will bring together 100 people, including teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, mental health workers, principals and superintendents, according to the department. Members will be trained by Stanford University's Building Resilience in Schools program and Pure Edge Inc.

The department said the training will cover how stress and adversity affect learning and development, along with practical strategies schools can build into daily routines to support wellness, emotional control and resilience. Participants who complete the program will receive a $1,000 stipend and are expected to share what they learn with colleagues at their own schools.

The program is meant to supplement districts' existing student support systems and to spread responsibility for student wellness across every adult in a school, rather than leaving it to counselors and mental health providers, the department said.

"We know that when students are struggling with their mental health or experiencing chronic stress, it can become more difficult to attend school regularly, engage in learning, and take advantage of the learning opportunities available to them," Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said.

Applications are open to Rhode Island public school staff in those roles. The department said it will choose a group representing different regions, school levels and jobs, and that applications submitted before Nov. 18 will get priority.

The department said it has secured more than $100 million in competitive grants under Infante-Green, including $1.5 million to expand remote behavioral health services and educator training in rural communities and $6 million to increase access to school psychologists.

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