Mass shootings taking toll on children’s mental health: ‘Our kids should not have to live like this’
This article was published by the Houston Chronicle on May 23, 2023. Nora Senske and her classmates sat in a locked basement classroom at Lamar High School for several hours on a recent Monday as…
Collaborative Problem Solving® in Pediatric Primary Care
SUMMARY - Pediatric primary care providers are increasingly treating pediatric mental health conditions, however, they need more tools to support caregivers with youth who exhibit challenging behaviors. Collaborative Problem Solving® is an approach that...
Mental & Behavioral Health Roadmap & Toolkit for Schools
SUMMARY - Academic goals are more difficult to achieve when the mental and behavioral health needs of students and staff are not addressed. This resource offers guidance to teachers and administrators for identifying the...
Schoolteachers and administrators are in a position to know a child as well as anyone outside of his or her own family. As such, they are uniquely well positioned to identify students who might have a mental or behavioral health need, and—working with their parents or caregivers—to connect them to appropriate services or resources.
This resource was developed to provide Texas schools and districts information on research-driven, evidence-based practices, as well as practical guidance to more effectively assess and address student mental and behavioral health needs. The document includes both a Roadmap and a Toolkit to best meet the needs of schools and school districts.
The Roadmap provides an overview of definitions, research, evidence-based practices, and other information needed to implement school-linked mental and behavioral health supports. It is built upon the framework of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS), which provides an overarching organization of plans to address student needs, broadly, through early identification and intervention.
The Toolkit contains detailed and practical information to better prepare schools to support the mental health needs of their students, including tools that address:
Funding opportunities
State legislation
Trauma-informed care in schools
Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid
Staff self-care
State and community providers, coalitions, and partnerships