Student Mental Health & Wellness

Recommended Initiative 1.3

Implement or strengthen programming that responds to a limited number of pandemic-related student wellness needs, including attendance and mental health services via clinical professionals.

Deliverables & Design Considerations

Click each deliverable below to expand its key design considerations.

TIMING: SPRING 2021

Determine how to assess students’ social-emotional well-being upon returning to school to identify signs of mental health concerns, including trauma, and then analyze student data to determine highest areas or need, including review of student wellness surveys

What data should we collect to identify students who need mental health supports most?
How might our data collection differ by grade span?
How will we leverage both self-reported (student) vs. staff-reported assessments?
How will we assess and re-engage students who were most absent or disengaged during the pandemic?
What are attendance data telling us about specific subgroups of students and areas of highest needs support?
What are the headlines from our review of student wellness surveys? What trends emerge from specific subgroups of students? Where are there gaps between subgroups?
To what extent is the data pandemic-related and how will we find out?

Establish a referral system

How might we develop a mental health referral pathway to identify a series of actions to take after identifying a student with a potential mental health issue?
How will we communicate the referral pathway to staff, families, and other stakeholders?

Publish performance goals to measure progress toward student wellness needs

What will our measures of success be for student wellness needs, such as attendance and mental health?

Design programming to intensify support in prioritized areas OR vet and select external partners using common criteria

How can we embed the three key pillars of trauma-informed care: safety, connection, and managing emotional impulses into our programming?
For students requiring more targeted supports, how can we offer individual and group-based interventions such as Cognitive Behavior Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) or establish care plans and frequent check-ins?
In what areas do we have existing resources (e.g. social worker, on-site mental health clinicians) and how will we tighten support for their use?
What external partners are available for support? Which ones have existing relationships with our school and/or system?
How will we vet new external partners?

Publish a set of community resource options for students requiring more intensive wellness supports

What are community resources currently available for students requiring more intensive wellness supports?
How are these options currently communicated to all staff, students, and/or families?
Is there currently a liaison at the school responsible for ensuring communication and access to all available resources?

timing: SCHOOL YEAR 2021-22

Identify students for programming and support and publish performance goals to measure progress toward student wellness needs

How might our data collection differ by grade span?
How will we leverage both self-reported (student) vs. staff-reported assessments?
What are my data telling me about specific subgroups of students and areas of highest needs support?
What will our measures of success be for student wellness needs such as attendance and mental health?

Develop a plan for semester 2 supports and programming based on return to school data

How will we adjust supports for semester 2 if additional staff is needed?

Design programming to intensify support in prioritized areas OR vet and select external partners using common criteria

In what areas do we have existing resources (e.g., social worker, on-site mental health clinicians) and how will we tighten support for their use?
What external partners are available for support? Which ones have existing relationships with our school and/or system?
How will we vet new external partners?

Publish community resource options for students requiring more intensive wellness supports

What community resources are currently available for students requiring more intensive wellness supports?
How are these options currently communicated to all staff, students, and/or families?
Is there currently a liaison at the school responsible for ensuring communication and access to all available resources?

Execute contracts for SY22-23 supports and priorities based on EOY review of SY21-22 data