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Universal Mental Health Practices for All

Universal Practice

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Mental health is a dimension of overall health on a continuum from high level wellness to severe illness. Universal strategies promote the social and emotional competence, well-being, and development of all students. Relationships; engagement; resiliency; mental health education; stigma reduction; safe, active, and positive school climate; and social and emotional learning are all important aspects of universal practice.

Active Schools

Active Schools is a set of strategies to increase student physical activity and improve academic learning. Active students are better learners.

Relationships and Connections

Students use positive relationships with their teachers as a secure base from which to take on academic challenges and advance their social-emotional development.

Parent Teacher Partnerships

Family involvement in children’s education has a significant impact on children’s academic outcomes, including better grades, higher test scores, and improved social-emotional development.

Resiliency

Resilience is not only for students. All of us face adversity. The ability to bounce back with new learning and strength can make a difference for our school communities.

Trauma Sensitive Practices

Children can and do experience trauma. For some, it impacts the child’s ability to regulate emotions, attend to schooling, and even achieve normal, developmental milestones. There are ways to make our schools more sensitive to these children’s needs. Educators can support all children in the development of healthy coping strategies and resilience in facing future struggles.

Bullying Prevention

Is bullying occurring in your school? Are you looking for resources and guidance to address your concerns? The Bullying Prevention resource page provides you with a roadmap to tackle the problem. With these comprehensive resources, you will be able to assess your current efforts and find tools and strategies to fill in the gaps. Policy guidance, report forms, curricula, parent and staff training - it’s all there.

Social-Emotional Learning

Research shows, and teachers know, that students who demonstrate good social skills and the ability to manage their emotions will likely succeed.

Mental Health Literacy and Wellness Education

Direct instruction in personal mental health strategies, suicide prevention, physical and mental health are direct strategies to help students develop social emotional competencies.

Crisis Prevention and Response Planning

Planning ahead to ensure the safety, welfare and possibly the recovery of all members of a school community in a critical incident or emergency is critical.

School Nursing and Mental Health

The School Nurse office is often the first place students with mental health challenges arrive to discuss either a physical issue related to the underlying concern, or to discuss the mental health challenge itself.  This guidance is particularly for school nurses and school administrators regarding the range of services offered for students seeking help.