Section 1: Overview of School Mental Health

School mental health involves addressing the mental health needs of students within an educational setting. It encompasses a holistic approach that promotes emotional well-being, psychological resilience, and the development of coping skills. By actively addressing the mental health needs of students, schools contribute to creating a positive and supportive learning environment. This, in turn, enhances students’ overall academic performance, social interactions, and long-term success. A focus on school mental health not only benefits individual students but also fosters a healthier and more inclusive school community.

School mental health is closely aligned with ongoing school and health care initiatives across the state of California, including:

  • Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (MTSS and PBIS) guarantee that system-wide changes are in place to secure the success and well-being of every student. What is PBIS? MTSS Pyramid
  • Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) implemented in classrooms and throughout the entire school aims to enhance students’ social skills, emotional literacy, and serve as a preventive measure against the development of mental health concerns. Advancing Social and Emotional Learning
  • Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) is a five-year, multi-billion dollar state initiative launched in 2021 to create a more integrated, youth-centered system of support that allows youth to find mental health and substance use needs where, when and in the way they need it. CHBYI Overview
  • School-Based Health and Wellness Centers are student-focused centers located on or near schools that provide age-appropriate, clinical health care services on site, and are organized through school and community partnerships. School-Based Health and Wellness Centers
  • Community Schools establish vital partnerships with the community to enhance academic outcomes, engage the whole child, and support family development, thereby ensuring that students, families, and community members actively participate in decision-making processes for a holistic and accessible education. What Is a Community School?
  • Trauma-informed classrooms and practices aim to create classrooms and schools that support staff and student’s resilience from experiencing overwhelming stress and traumatic experiences. Trauma-Informed Classrooms
  • Restorative Justice initiatives aim to change the system wide discipline system, increasing social connections and reducing inequitable exclusionary discipline practices. Restorative Justice in Action
  • Suicide prevention policies in schools are creating supportive environments that enhance students’ sense of connection and education for warning signs and how to intervene. California Department of Education Youth Suicide Prevention

While this guide curates tools for building school mental health services and programs, none of these efforts should happen in isolation from other school and county initiatives.

Implementing School Mental Health involves addressing the school environment and policies shaping the daily experiences of staff and students. It goes beyond increasing access to specific interventions, focusing on the entire school community and climate. These initiatives aim to cultivate positive school climates and cultures through supportive student and staff relationships, complemented by more targeted services for students requiring intensive support, thus forming a comprehensive approach to enhancing student mental health.

A note about language: we try to use the terminology, “mental health,” consistently throughout this guide to cover the continuum of school-based services, from prevention to treatment, that address a student’s sense of wellbeing. However, some linked resources use the terminology, “behavioral health.” The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines behavioral health as “the promotion of mental health, resilience, and wellbeing; and the treatment of mental and substance use disorders.” Some community members have experienced the term “behavioral” as stigmatizing, ignoring the impact of racism and poverty on children’s health. The California Children’s Partnership suggests terminology such as “social, emotional, and mental health” to be more inclusive of the challenges facing children and youth.

A note about language: we try to use the terminology, “mental health,” consistently throughout this guide to cover the continuum of school-based services, from prevention to treatment, that address a student’s sense of wellbeing. However, some linked resources use the terminology, “behavioral health.” The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines behavioral health as “the promotion of mental health, resilience, and wellbeing; and the treatment of mental and substance use disorders.”

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