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Mental health

Mental health encompasses the many aspects of emotional and behavioral health that educators encounter in schools.

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“Youth Crisis Line. How can I help you?” Experiences of a crisis line youth volunteer“Youth Crisis Line. How can I help you?” Experiences of a crisis line youth volunteer

Isabella, a mental health youth advocate and high school senior, recently connected with our SRI team to share her experiences and learn more about our collective work to engage and assist youth in mental health services and research.
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What Should Schools Prioritize to Support Youth Mental Health?What Should Schools Prioritize to Support Youth Mental Health?

Priority #2: Provide Training and Wellness Centers. This blog is the second of three blogs summarizing recommendations from students, families, educators, mental health professionals, and administrators for improving students’ mental health services in schools.
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What Should Schools Prioritize to Support Youth Mental Health?What Should Schools Prioritize to Support Youth Mental Health?

Priority #1: Provide More Specialized Mental Health Professionals and Paraprofessionals on Campus. In this blog series, we examine the different priorities that school leaders might address—despite limited resources and reduced federal investments—to respond to the ongoing youth mental health crisis.
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Understanding trauma and supporting staff and students to thriveUnderstanding trauma and supporting staff and students to thrive

This blog post delves into these four topics and provides ready-to-use training and coaching resources to equip all school staff with the knowledge and evidence-based strategies to support students and staff who have experienced trauma.
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Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District LeadersPromoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders

Schools are prioritizing students’ mental health, and there are many tools and resources to choose from. CDC created this action guide as a place to start. It can help school and district leaders build on what they are already doing to promote students’ mental health and find new strategies to ...
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Guiding Principles and Best Practices in School Discipline to Support Students’ Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Academic NeedsGuiding Principles and Best Practices in School Discipline to Support Students’ Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Academic Needs

In March of 2023, the U.S. Department of Education released Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive, and Fair School Climates for students and school staff, featuring specific recommendations for evidence-based practices that allow students to learn, grow, and be successful.
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Which Kindergarteners are at Risk of Being Bullied and/or Becoming Bullies, and What Can Educators and Parents Do About It?Which Kindergarteners are at Risk of Being Bullied and/or Becoming Bullies, and What Can Educators and Parents Do About It?

Bullying occurs when children experience unwanted and aggressive behavior from more powerful peers repeatedly over time.
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Supporting Youth in a Social Media BoomSupporting Youth in a Social Media Boom

The popularity of social media is widespread and continues to rise, especially among youth. According to a recent general advisory report released by the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, up to 95% of youth aged 13-17 regularly use at least one social media platform.
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Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s AdvisorySocial Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory

The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General released a general advisory report in May 2023 on public health concerns related to youth’s use of social media. This report on Social Media and Youth Mental Health includes research on the positive and negative impacts of social media use on youth health ...
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Using Multi-tiered Systems of Support to Address Students’ Mental Health: An Evidence-Based ApproachUsing Multi-tiered Systems of Support to Address Students’ Mental Health: An Evidence-Based Approach

This REL Northeast & Islands webinar provides an overview of MTSS, a three-tiered framework of classroom-based and schoolwide interventions that many districts and schools use to meet the academic and/or social-emotional needs of students.
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The Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative’s New Blog Series Highlights Key Take-Aways from Trauma-Sensitive School LeadersThe Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative’s New Blog Series Highlights Key Take-Aways from Trauma-Sensitive School Leaders

In the coming weeks, TLPI will share a series of blog posts highlighting key take-aways that we have heard from discussions with trauma-sensitive school leaders as they reflect on how utilizing the trauma lens guides them in their response to  the ongoing challenges.
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Supporting Transgender Staff and StudentsSupporting Transgender Staff and Students

The National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) compiled the following list of websites and free resources to help support transgender youth and adults.
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NCSMH NewsletterNCSMH Newsletter

This is not “one more newsletter.” The National Center for School Mental Health listserv newsletters  include timely information on upcoming conferences, events, and webinars, grants and research opportunities, news reports and resources, policy updates, and issues in the popular media related to school mental health. The newsletter comes out every other ...
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Classroom Well-being Information and Strategies for Educators (WISE)Classroom Well-being Information and Strategies for Educators (WISE)

The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network, in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has developed a FREE self-guided online course, video library + resource collection, and a website focused on educator mental health literacy. The 3-part training ...
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How early childhood education providers can use COVID-19 relief funds to establish lasting mental health supports for staff and childrenHow early childhood education providers can use COVID-19 relief funds to establish lasting mental health supports for staff and children

Did you know? The recent influx of federal COVID-19 relief funds provides an opportunity to fund early childhood educational mental health supports and services! State agency leaders and early childhood educators can use infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) to meet children’s social and emotional needs during and beyond ...
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Addressing the trauma of racismAddressing the trauma of racism

This post from the National Center for Safe Supportive Schools introduces the Center for Childhood Resilience (CCR). CCR is partnering with Alliance for Prevention and Inclusion and the National Center for School Mental Health to establish the National Center for Safe Supportive Schools (NCS3). The NCS3 aims to integrate best ...
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How to boost wellness for high school students during distance learningHow to boost wellness for high school students during distance learning

Spring 2020 school closures left teachers and district officials scrambling to restructure their classrooms with as few disruptions as possible. High school teachers faced the difficult task of trying to preserve their students’ motivation to finish strong and stay on track to graduate, despite the looming anxiety and uncertainty that ...
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A lifeline of support: Arkansas’s innovative program to help early childhood educators support young childrenA lifeline of support: Arkansas’s innovative program to help early childhood educators support young children

Teaching preschool is simultaneously joyous and challenging. Students differ widely in their temperaments and their experience sharing space and resources with peers. Although many children adapt quickly to a group care environment, for others it can be challenging. Some early educators can access related professional development or external specialists that ...
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Student access to mental health information on California college campusesStudent access to mental health information on California college campuses

Two surveys of California public college students provide insight into the preliminary impact of the California Mental Health Services Authority’s activities on college students’ receipt of information about mental health issues and support services. The research described in this report was funded by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) and ...
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5 things educators can do virtually to support students experiencing trauma5 things educators can do virtually to support students experiencing trauma

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted strategies from the “Common trauma symptoms in students and helpful strategies for educators” handout to help educators address student’s social-emotional and mental health needs associated with trauma in virtual settings.
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