Mental health screenings in schools allow staff to identify mental health conditions early and connect students with help. School staff should be able to recognize early warning signs. They should also be trained to work with the community mental health system and to discuss mental health concerns with families.

Screening can help promote comprehensive school mental health strategies across all tiers. As a result, appropriate supports can be provided to more than just those students who present with the highest level of risk.

Safe spaces are places where children can go to calm down, be alone, and recharge so they are ready to learn. Experts know that when children don't feel safe or are in a state of emotional upset, they can't learn. Safe spaces are an effective way to help children return to a relaxed state that is optimal for learning. Read more about how to create those spaces HERE.

Fostering the physical and mental health of school employees also helps to support students’ health and academic success. Every school employee, no matter the role they play, contributes to a school’s mission. School staff can give their best when they feel their best. School employee wellness programs can help.

Schools can provide an employee wellness program for staff that includes healthy eating and physical activity services. When staff model these healthy behaviors, they can reinforce them with students.

Additionally, supporting school employee wellness programs can

• Improve staff retention and productivity.

• Decrease employee absenteeism.

• Decrease employee health care costs.

Explicit mindfulness helps students and staff manage their stress more effectively and work through it more quickly. Frequent mindfulness practice—even micro-sessions of a few minutes or less—imparts health benefits. Research suggests that mindfulness programs can improve cognitive performance as well as resilience to stress.

Adult SEL is the process of helping educators build their expertise and skills to lead social and emotional learning initiatives. It also involves cultivating adults’ own social and emotional competencies.

The ability to positively model prosocial behaviors, label emotions, and demonstrate empathy, positive relationships, social awareness, and self-awareness to students is essential to any institutions SEL initiatives.

Adult self-care practices help educators cope with stress and manage their emotions. Just as research points to the importance of student SEL, studies show that focusing on the social-emotional development of adults can lead to positive outcomes for students.

Group counseling, which involves a number of students working on shared tasks and developing supportive relationships in a group setting, is an efficient, effective and positive way of providing direct service to students with academic, career and social/emotional developmental issues and situational concerns. Group counseling has been shown to be effective in improving study skills , underachievement and school adjustment. Group counseling can also help reduce social isolation and negative emotions, as well as increase positive peer relations and a sense of belonging. In group counseling, affect, cognition and behavior are emphasized. The group creates a climate of trust, caring, understanding and support that enables students to share their concerns with peers and the school counselor.

A coordinated referral process and progress monitoring can help ensure a data driven and highly structured systems to measure student progress regarding student mental health.

Creating a highly structured and intentional plan for a response to a crisis is an essential component of school's MTSS system. While no plan can cover the wide range of crises that could occur within the school setting, preparedness is an essential component to facilitating a return to normalcy.

Problem solving with colleagues is a very effective way to gain the support needed to work with a diverse student population. The outcomes of such teams have been remarkable. Studies show that individual student interventions resulted in a positive impact, not only on the identified student, but also on other students, entire classrooms, and schools as a whole. Documented outcomes of effective intervention teams include: 1) use of appropriate consequences, 2) increased student engaged time and academic achievement, 3) improved student social competency, and 4) an improved school climate and collaborative culture. The team model encourages communication and enhances the classroom teaching and learning environment, recognizing the value of the relationship between students and staff.

Individual school counseling is an integral component of any comprehensive school counseling program. Individual counseling is a responsive service in which we seek to meet both the students' immediate needs and concerns. It is offered throughout the school year to students in a confidential setting. These services may be provided by credentialed school employees or outside services.

A report that highlights the current crisis of youth mental health.

The TIPPS program comes from the University of Michigan and is a comprehensive guide for educators to support students and families in navigating trauma.

An important discussion about the need for schools to support student mental health when re-opening in fall 2021

The Trauma Tool Kit offers insight on frequently asked questions, as well as information on the sources of trauma, effects of trauma, and how educators can feel supported along with students.