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 fill in gaps. The action guide describes six in-school strategies that are proven to promote and support mental health and well-being. For each strategy, the guide also describes approaches, or specific ways to put the strategy into action, and examples of evidence-based policies, programs, and practice ..read more

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. To enhance state and local implementation of these guiding principles, a collaborative of technical assistance centers serving the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools developed a series of four fact sheets. The series describ ..read more

What is bullying? Bullying occurs when children experience unwanted and aggressive behavior from more powerful peers repeatedly over time. Bullying is considered a type of school violence (Arseneault, 2018; Yang et al., 2018). Types of Bullying Definition Hypothetical Example of Bullying Potential Outcomes Verbal The child is frequently teased, made fun of, or called names by other children Kelly loudly exclaims, “Did ‘Fat Angela’ really think she could pull off that shirt?” as she passes Angela in the lunchroom. When Angela looks upset, Kelly rolls her eyes and says, “Can’t you take a j ..read more

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. And of those users, more than 1 in 3 report using social media “almost constantly.” This prompts questions for parents and researchers alike: How does social media use impact children? How can we best support and protect them from any harmful effects? The data on the full and long-term impacts of social media use are still mixe ..read more

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 and well-being. Read about what policymakers, technology companies, parents and caregivers, youth, and researchers can do to create safer and healthier online environments for children. Read The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Social Media and Youth Mental Health   Posted June 2023 ..read more

July 28, 2022 This REL Northeast & Islands webinar provides an overview of Multi-tiered Systems of Support (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. MTSS offers a continuum of supports of increasing intensity to promote social and emotional competencies among all students, as well as to ensure that students with social, emotional, or mental health challenges are identified and supported. The webinar discusses the prevalence of mental health challenges ..read more

In the coming weeks, TLPI will share a series of blog posts highlighting key take-aways that they 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. As educators, students, and parents embark on the fourth pandemic school year, many are experiencing not only the typical joy and excitement of a new school year but also the concerns about what the 2022-23 school year will be like, given that last year presented as one of the most challenging ever. In fact, the last three ..read more

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. https://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/media/SOM/Microsites/NCSMH/Documents/Resources/Supporting-Trans-Youth.pdf ..read more

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 month, with occasional bonus announcements or resources, so subscribe to stay up-to-date on school mental health happenings! http://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/Connect/Listserv–Newsletters ..read more