Mental Health

In this day and age the impact of a student's mental health on his/her ability to learn and achieve academically is becoming more and more widely understood, accepted, and addressed. In order for students to achieve at their greatest potential they must be educated in a safe and emotionally healthy environment.

This page offers resources, links, materials, and websites that are related to mental health and its importance in the school setting. For further information about mental health and youth, see the Centers for Disease Control.

Mental Health Consultant: Lauren Kazee, LMSW, 517-241-1500, kazeel@michigan.gov 

School Tragedy Resources for Parents and Educators

• A National Tragedy: Helping Children Cope - NASP Resources
• Children and Violence - National Institute of Mental Health
• Coping with Violence and Traumatic Events - SAMHSA
• Crisis Response and Intervention: Responding to Tragedy - School Social Work Association of America (Please note the first resource is specifically for the school where the shooting occurred.)
• National Child Truamatic Stress Network

2007 USDOE Mental Health in Schools Grant:

• Michigan Department of Education Mental Health in Schools Grant Press Release
• Mental Health in Schools Grant Summary
• Mental Health in Schools Grant Powerpoint
• Mental Health in Schools Steering Committee
• Mental Health in Schools Community Partnership - Common Barriers Identified Across Statewide Steering Committee and Pilot Sites
• Mental Health in Schools Community Partnership - Priorities and Proposed Actions 
• Mental Health Toolkit
• State Board of Education Approved Mental Health in Schools Policy - Approved February 9, 2010

Related Information:

The National Adolescent Health Information Center has published a brief, The Mental Health of Adolescents: A National Profile, 2008 which presents data on measures ranging from well-being to substantial impairment.

Healthy Students IS School Reform - Michigan Department of Education PowerPoint at the August 2009 Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) Conference

Resources:

• Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action - The Center provides many very useful tools and resources geared specifically to school mental health.
• UCLA School Mental Health Project - This is the other federally funded assistance school mental health technical assistance center. They have many good suggestions for implementing school wide programs.
• Michigan Model for Health®, a nationally acclaimed school health education program, is currently being implemented in over 90% of Michigan's public schools and over 200 private and charter schools.
• CASEL - Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
• SAMHSA - Eliminating Barriers for Learning
• Edutopia - George Lucas Educational Foundation
• Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports - Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports was established to address the behavioral and discipline systems needed for successful learning and social development of students. The center provides capacity-building information and technical support about behavioral systems to assist states and districts in the design of effective schools.
• Child and Adolescent Health Centers - Child and Adolescent Health Center Program services are aimed at achieving the best possible physical, intellectual, and emotional status of children and adolescents by providing services that are high quality, accessible, and acceptable to youth.
• SCHA-Mi - School Community Health Alliance of Michigan
• Second Wind Fund, Inc. - serves youth with a new and unique approach for youth at-risk for suicide, collaborating with communities through schools and professional therapists to ensure suicidal youth have access to mental health services quickly and efficiently.

Local Programs for Schools: 

• MINDS - The Mental Illness Needs Discussion Sessions is an organization that aims at educating young people about mental illness. 
• The University of Michigan's Depression Center - The nation's first comprehensive center devoted to depression education and information. 
• Ele's Place - A healing center for grieving children. 
• KnowResolve - Mental health activism and advocacy. 

Laws and Policies: 

• Suicide Prevention Plan for Michigan 
• Mental Health Code 
• Governor's Mental Health Report: Part 1 and Part 2 

Additional Information:

• The National Association of Social Workers - Michigan Chapter 
• School Social Work Association of America 
• Michigan Association of School Social Workers 
• Michigan Association of School Psychologists 
• Michigan School Counselors Association