Comprehensive School Mental Health Plans
Why School Mental Health Programs?
Research is clear that the school environment is often the best place for emotionally fragile adolescents and children to get support and help that can save their lives. Through the federal Mental Health In Schools Act (H.R. 628) funds have been dedicated and public schools are mandated to develop a Comprehensive School Mental Health Program (CSMHP.)
These dedicated dollars, though, often do not make it to frontline school programs, teachers, school staff, and school counselors. Little guidance has been provided to administrators on how to create and maintain a CSMHP. Unfortunately too many children and teens are still dealing with mental health struggles without treatment or support.
Things Need To Be Different
Many schools would report they have a serviceable CSMHP with school counselors, suicide awareness assemblies, and required health classes. Yet the increasing numbers of students with depressive episodes, panic attacks, or even suicidal tendencies show schools need to be doing something different.
Mental health professionals are adamant the single best way to save kids from self harm and suicide is to give students the courage, motivation, and means to talk with nurturing caring adults–namely teachers, staff, and, ultimately, school counselors. But adolescents with mental health disorders seldom have the courage to seek help and support without a motivating intervention typically not found in schools today.
These dedicated dollars, though, often do not make it to frontline school programs, teachers, school staff, and school counselors. Little guidance has been provided to administrators on how to create and maintain a CSMHP. Unfortunately too many children and teens are still dealing with mental health struggles without treatment or support.
The Change That’s Needed
There is movement though in the right direction. Mental health professionals along with education leaders are advocating for the right things:
- Schools are key to helping mentally at-risk children and adolescents,
- Communities, families, and schools need to come together in collaboration, and
- CSMHP’s need to feature a sustained curriculum-based mental health initiative that encourages open dialogue leading at-risk students to reach out to parents and nurturing adults.
Tommi Project: A New Student Mental Health Initiative
New in-school mental health initiatives do not have to be expensive or stretch staff resources. The Tommi Project is a four-week literature circle curriculum wrapped around the young adult novel Screw You Van Gogh to be taught in grades 9 or 10 Language Arts classes. The curriculum meets academic standards required by most high schools as well as Social Emotional Learning (SEL) standards endorsed by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL.)
The book is a powerful story of two unlikely friends brought together by change and an unworldly connection neither one can explain. Together they navigate teenage relationships, dysfunctional families, self discovery, the terrifying impact of teenage mental health, and, ultimately, the choice to live.
The curriculum provides a sustained, non-threatening opportunity for students to vicariously learn of adolescent mental challenges and, ultimately, consider their own life experience. For more information visit Screw You Van Gogh.