Mental Health

Support student and staffs’ mental health and well-being by ensuring access to mental health supports, including universal mental health promotion for all students and staff, selective services for students identified as at-risk for a mental health concern or problems, and indicated services for individual students who already display a mental health concern or problem.

Key Strategies

  • Identify age appropriate universal mental health screener for early identification of needs and develop a plan to pilot.

  • Strengthen tiered response to mental health needs from universal supports to targeted intervention.

  • Explore and develop a plan model for Wellness Centers at the middle school level.

  • Expand group therapy and social skills groups at the elementary level (e.g. bullying prevention, conflict resolution, help seeking behaviors, emotional regulation, positive peer interactions).

  • Develop a staff wellness program that includes seminars, physical activity, mental health supports, and staff recognition.

  • Increase community mental health agency partnerships to provide workshops for students, parents, and staff.

  • Clarify and monitor homework policies and practices to reduce “test stacking” and weekend homework.

  • Adjust the start times for schools to align with sleep research.

  • Expand use of research-based, CASEL-aligned, surveys, and screeners to gauge progress on the development of student social-emotional skills and supports.

  • Establish the SEL Design Team to lead SEL design/revision and implementation of CASEL-aligned framework.

  • Provide SEL resources and professional learning opportunities that support effective lessons, teaching practices, and SEL integration.

  • Establish a minimum time requirement for explicit SEL instruction by grade level.


How will we measure progress? (Key Performance Indicators)

  • Decrease percentage of staff and students identified as chronically absent after adjusting for COVID quarantines (Classroom Attendance Data in IC, 5Labs).

  • Increase the extent to which students are engaged and connected to the school environment (CHKS/Panorama/Equity Survey).

  • Increase staff and student knowledge of supports and help-seeking behaviors (CHKS Survey).

  • Improve SEL competencies at all grade levels (Panorama Survey, CHKS Survey, Teacher feedback).

  • Homework survey results demonstrate improved adherence to Board policy.

Connection

  • Provide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) professional learning opportunities for grades K-8.

  • Develop model for consistent SEL instruction across high schools.

  • Complete SEL practice inventory with middle schools and identify resources to support consistent SEL instruction across elementary and middle schools.

  • Implement instruction on Healthy Relationships & Behaviors, including comprehensive TK-12 sexual health instruction.

Engagement

  • Provide staff workshops on supporting vulnerable students as part of the New Hire Equity Series and on Professional Learning Days. Topics would include: SEL, Restorative Practices, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQQ) inclusivity, and ongoing support for student mental and physical health needs.

  • Create and implement attendance interventions, coordinating available resources – including School Counselors, Family Engagement Specialists, District Social Workers, and District Nurses – to support increased attendance.

  • Expand partnerships and explore models to provide alternatives to traditional high school settings.

Student Well-being

  • Establish an annual process to review, refine, and publish protocols for identifying and addressing physical and mental health needs of TK-12 students.

  • Develop consistent articulation processes to share student needs and interventions for elementary to middle, and middle to high school transitions.

  • Promote healthy, productive, and responsible use of technology and digital citizenship.

  • Create District Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) model that encompasses the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral health needs of all students.

  • Improve Bullying & Harassment reporting and responses by utilizing the anonymous reporting tool, a process flow chart, and case management through administrators, counselors, and social workers.