May 2022
It is hard to believe this is the final newsletter for this school year!
In this issue, we have gathered information and resources for upcoming Awareness Month topics, including Mental Health Awareness, Foster Care, LBTGQ+, Teacher Appreciation and National Prevention week.
Check out the feature story highlighting Parma City School District’s Annual Mental Health Youth Summit, and the District Spotlight on South Euclid-Lyndhurst‘s Safe Spaces in their elementary buildings for students and staff.
Also, be sure to follow us on our new ESC Student Wellness Department Twitter page.
The Student Wellness Department thanks you for your support to students and families during a challenging time. We hope you have a great end of the school year and look forward to working together next school year.
The ESC of Northeast Ohio Student Wellness Department
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The health and safety of students and staff at Parma City Schools will always be one of the top priorities in the district, and this past fall, the district held a Mental Health Summit for student leaders representing all three high schools.
The approximately 75 students who participated in this special event had been selected by their peers to become mental health ambassadors through the Hope Squad program. A nationwide, peer-to-peer suicide prevention program, Hope Squad helps reduce youth suicide through education, training, and peer intervention. More information can be found at their website.
“Wellness is part of teaching the whole child,” said Marian Armstrong, a counselor at Parma Senior High, who helped organize the Mental Health Summit. “We are teaching these students life-long skills on how to take care of themselves and how to take care of others.”
During the Summit, students participated in team-building exercises, lessons, and training provided by personnel from OhioGuidestone and Recovery Resources. In addition, the Cuyahoga County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board provided Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training, which teaches students how to recognize signs of crisis and gives them the tools they need to get a peer to a trusted and caring adult. Those who attended the Summit are now “QPR certified.”
“We aren’t teaching them to be therapists,” said Armstrong. “We are teaching them how to recognize signs of a mental health crisis, how to be a trusted peer, and how to get help for someone in need. All three schools have been working hard on their Hope Squad Programs, and it’s just a fun day,” Armstrong added. “My hope for students is that they take away the importance of us needing to take care of each other. Just saying ‘hi' to someone might make their day and save their life.”
Students also worked on self-care and positive affirmations while at the event.
Gage Wellman, a tenth-grader at Normandy High School, said the day was filled with great resources that he will use throughout his life.
“Covid really took a big hit personally for me and this is a really hard time for a lot of people, so I think this event is a great thing to have,” he expressed. “It was really outstanding to see all these resources in our hands. I really appreciated that.”
Viviana Cabrera, an eighth-grader at Parma Senior High School, felt hopeful after attending the event and was honored to be seen as a trusted friend and peer in her school.
“You really have to be patient with people and give them the chance to not only open up but also be able to understand them and put yourself in their shoes,” she described. “That’s one of the biggest things I took away from this day. We need to give everyone a chance. I hope other people can also get trained and have the opportunity to help others.”
Adonia Vlahopoulos, an eleventh-grader at Valley Forge High School, attended the district's Mental Health Summit before and was happy to see PCSD bring it back again.
“I think it’s really great that schools are putting a focus on mental health,” she shared. “There are a lot of things on the internet that might not be totally correct. It’s nice to have the schools working with us to have trusted resources to learn what’s real and what’s fake and how things really work, especially when dealing with the human mind. With Covid going on, we were isolated and had a chance to self-reflect, but now we can come together and help get through this together. It’s really nice to see this happen.”
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CLICK HERE for resources on:
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- National Foster Care Month
- Teacher Appreciation Week
- National Prevention Week
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CLICK HERE for resources on:
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It is a common misconception that supporting student mental health is undertaken exclusively in Tiers II and III of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), where students receive individualized or intensive interventions. However, there are many practices at the universal level (Tier I) that support student mental health and well-being, thus preventing behavioral and emotional problems from occurring in the first place. While there is a myriad of evidence-based practices that promote positive mental health at Tier l, the four listed below are especially important.
Promoting a positive, safe and supportive school climate
A supportive environment is one in which students feel they are respected and treated fairly. The development of school-wide expectations, predictable routines, and consistent, instructive responses to behavior infractions all contribute to a sense of safety and security. If you’re not sure how your students feel about the climate in your building, consider administering a short survey. There are a number of options available in PBISApps (we can help you access them) or you may create your own using Google Forms. The responses will provide a wealth of information about students’ perceptions and can be used for making data-based decisions for improvement if needed.
Providing opportunities for skill-building in the development and maintenance of positive relationships
We know that having social connections is an important protective factor for youth, yet too often, and especially since the isolation experienced during the pandemic, students lack the skills necessary for cultivating healthy relationships. Developing and maintaining positive relationships is identified as one of Ohio's SEL competencies, and most social/emotional learning (SEL) curricula include content pertaining to skill building in this area. There are many strategies that can be used in the classroom to build relationships; some of these include the consistent use of morning meetings, teaching, and modeling conflict resolution, greeting students at the door, and asking students about important events that are occurring in their personal lives.
Reducing the use of exclusionary discipline practices
An American Psychological Association (APA) review of research literature has found no evidence that disciplinary actions that remove students from school are effective in improving student behavior. Furthermore, students who are, or have been, suspended are at higher risk for psychological distress, depression, and emotional withdrawal. Best practices for responding to challenging behaviors include training and supporting school staff in evidence-informed, culturally responsive crisis de-escalation strategies, using restorative justice practices that focus on repairing the harm caused by an incident, and examining suspensions and expulsions by the demographic group to gain insight into differences in policy or practice.
Increasing mental health literacy for all students
Mental health literacy is defined as knowledge and beliefs about obtaining and maintaining positive mental health, reducing stigma related to mental illness, increasing help-seeking efficacy, and understanding mental health concerns and how to address them (Jorm, 2012; Kutcher et al., 2016). Students need open and ongoing conversations to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health. School-wide strategies to increase awareness, such as providing mental health and well-being tips in the morning announcements or assemblies, can promote productive conversations. Furthermore, mental health education can be integrated into academics and classwork in a way that doesn’t overly burden teachers. For example, a social studies lesson may identify and discuss mental health topics (e.g., trauma, stigma) in books that students are reading. Younger students may learn about how to identify, describe, and manage emotions, while older students may learn about and discuss the social implications of different mental health issues.
Finally, many school districts have collaborative partnerships with community prevention and mental health providers who offer Evidence-Based Practices recommended by National research organizations, CASEL, and State HB 123. When exploring those options districts/buildings and providers should be looking at student survey data such as OhYES, Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), or research universal screeners to determine the best programs to fit their student population and age group needs.
For more information on Evidence-Based programs that align with your Mental Health Framework, or for support in implementing the Health Curriculum (an hour for each topic area: suicide awareness and prevention, safety training and violence, and social inclusion) under HB123, please contact Denise Pietrzak at denise.pietrzak@escneo.org.
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It is becoming widely understood that it is best practice for school districts to establish one system of social/emotional and behavior supports. This framework is called the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) and it blends Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) with mental health supports. One core feature of an ISF is the expansion of PBIS leadership teams to include school and community mental health clinicians. This ensures that the interventions provided to students and families can be managed and monitored for effectiveness and it avoids staff burn-out caused by an overload of meetings and overlapping efforts.
Community employed clinicians in schools have traditionally determined strategies and interventions independently and then shared information with school staff about how to support a limited number of specific students. In an ISF, these partners are active team members who collaborate in decision-making about intervention selection and progress monitoring. Furthermore, at the school level, team discussion may address all students regardless of who ultimately provides the intervention. While this practice may raise concerns regarding the confidentiality of student records and mental health concerns, it is the responsibility of the district to define policies about confidentiality with partnering agencies and then to document the decisions in contractual agreements or memorandums of understanding (MOUs).
As one may suspect, integrating two teams of individuals who have traditionally carried out their functions independently of one another will require cross-training and careful planning to learn about each system. Objectives of a cross-training plan may include reviewing job descriptions, explaining the MTSS framework including how it supports school mental health, and identifying the core components of Tier 1 and roles/responsibilities in Tiers 2 and 3.
Installing and implementing an Interconnected Systems Framework requires collaboration and dedication, but the resulting system will improve access and mental health supports for all students. This Implementation Guide is a “how-to” manual that can guide the work. The Student Wellness Department can assist! Reach out to Mary Wise, at mary.wise@escneo.org, if you’d like to learn more.
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South Euclid-Lyndhurst City Schools have created Safe Spaces in their kindergarten through third grade classrooms as part of their Conscious Discipline program.
These Safe Spaces feature elements to help students self-soothe, such as comfortable seating and posters depicting a five-step calming process that can be followed when one is feeling strong emotions such as anxiety, stress or anger. The goal for the Safe Spaces is to provide an environment where students are able to step outside of their current emotion and self-regulate their overwhelming feelings. “It’s not a time out and it’s not a quiet corner that you just go to,” said School Counselor Lisa Artino. “There is a process of self-regulation where students are moving from the lower centers of the brain to higher centers of the brain where optimal problem solving, and learning can occur.”
District teachers have been trained in the Conscious Discipline methods and the recommended five-step calming process. “You don’t want to go to the principal’s office, but honestly I don’t deal with a lot of behaviors or negative things because what our teachers are doing in the classroom with their Safe Spaces is really helping students stay in the classroom,” said Rowland Elementary School Assistant Principal Sylvia Marshall.
One second grader who has yet to use the Safe Space in his classroom has noticed the changes in the behavior of his peers after their use of one of the spaces. “They are ready to learn. They are ready to do their reading and their math and they feel better,” said second grader Josiah Morgan.
South Euclid Lyndhurst has also created a Safe Space in each elementary building specifically for staff members. This gives staff the opportunity to re-evaluate and decompress their own emotions before heading back into a classroom setting. The district intends to install Safe Spaces in every building within the district.
CLICK HERE for the FOX8 Story.
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Examples of the Safe Spaces for students at South Euclid-Lyndhurst City School District. | |
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Helping Children Heal from the Mental Scars of COVID
CBS News aired a story on March 20 about helping children heal from the
mental scars of COVID. You can watch the segment below.
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ESC of Northeast Ohio Events
Student Wellness MTSS Series
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Alignment of Ohio Initiatives + Laws to Support the Whole Child
May 11, 2022
1-3 p.m.
Location: ESC of Northeast Ohio
School Counselor & Social Worker Network
May 12, 2022
Noon-2:30 p.m.
Location: ESC of Northeast Ohio
Student Wellness Webinars
Free On-Demand Webinars
Available 24/7
Free Kognito Training
Trauma-Informed Practices for K-12 Schools
45 minute, online role-play simulation,
self-paced and private
PreK-12 PBIS Training for Leadership Teams
SST3 and the ESC of Northeast Ohio
- Designed as self-paced online training with instructional videos and required activities. All materials are housed in the Canvas website and are intended to be accessed and completed as a team.
- Interested Tier I PBIS building level teams can download the registration packet HERE. Upon receipt of the completed packet, teams will be contacted by a PBIS facilitator for support in getting started.
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Outside
Events
PAX Trainings
Due to overwhelming demand, PAXIS has two training opportunities for teachers previously trained in PAX GBG. Prevention Action Alliance is offering a $200 incentive to teachers who attend training during off-contract hours. Email Kimberly Rust at kimberly@paxis.org for more information.
Click Here to register for:
PAX Next Steps Training (Trauma-Informed Care/SEL)
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Click Here to register for:
PAX Heroes Training
Monday, June 20, 2022
8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Free Kognito At-Risk Professional Development Courses for Educators
- Through October 18, 2022
- The training includes simulations for early childhood, elementary, middle and high school educators. The simulations pack hours of information, exercises, and hands-on practice into 45-60 minutes and expedite the pace of learning.
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