This practical guide from Project Cal-Well summarizes key considerations and includes recommendations for schools and districts implementing social, emotional, and behavioral screening during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Two partnering Project Cal-Well districts share examples of how they have gathered data to identify the behavioral and mental health support needs of their students.
Mental Health
Overview of Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) Grant Program
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $4.75 million in Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) grants to three local educational agencies (LEAs): Baltimore City Schools; Chicago Public Schools; and St. Louis Public Schools. The communities in these three LEAs had experienced recent significant civil unrest (i.e., demonstrations of mass protest that involved law enforcement).
The funds supported LEAs’ efforts to build capacity to address the comprehensive behavioral and mental health needs of their students by supporting systems-wide approaches that link schools, mental health service providers, and community-based organizations.
This resource provides a brief overview of the grantees, their activities, support provided, and lessons learned.
Medi-Cal 101 for School and District Leaders: Financing School Mental Health Using Medi-Cal
This webinar provided an overview of what school and district leaders need to know about Medi-Cal and discussed different models, examples, and action steps of how districts in California can integrate Medi-Cal funded mental health services into school settings. Presenters shared implementation challenges and lessons learned. Click on the video link above to watch the recording, and the links below to access additional resources.
The webinar was hosted in partnership between the California Department of Education, Department of Health Care Services, California Children’s Trust, and WestEd and was supported by Project Cal-Well.
Supporting Students’ Social and Emotional Connectedness During Remote Learning
This practical guide from Project Cal-Well focuses on flexible and feasible approaches to supporting social and emotional connectedness during remote learning. It provides information and resources about easy to implement strategies for educators, students, and families to stay connected and foster a sense of community within a virtual classroom. The guide includes strategies for educators to:
- Promote students’ feelings of being welcomed as part of a community
- Foster peer-to-peer connections and relationships through classroom activities and independent assignments
- Regularly check in with students about their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing
- Demonstrate flexibility, understanding, and willingness to communicate with students and their families
Practical Guide for Financing Social, Emotional, and Mental Health in Schools
The California Children’s Trust and Breaking Barriers have developed this guide for education leaders on partnering and accessing Medi-Cal (i.e., Medicaid) funding to support the social, emotional, and mental health needs of students. The guide provides:
- An overview of what school leaders need to know about Medi-Cal
- Five different models with examples of how California districts integrate Medi-Cal-funded mental health services into school settings
- Five actions school district leaders can take now to access and reinvest Medi-Cal funding to support the needs of students
- Step-by-step guidance on how to integrate Medi-Cal into a coordinated system of supports
- Additional resources on accessing MediCal to expand billable mental health services for students
Resource Guide: Responding to COVID-19 Challenges
California Safe and Supportive Schools Resource Guides highlight the latest topic-specific research, policies, and practices concerning school climate, student engagement, and well-being, derived from recent editions of the California Safe and Supportive Schools Newsletter.
This issue focuses on supporting learning, well-being, and mental health of school communities during COVID-19. It includes tools, strategies, and guides for reopening schools and providing online services during this unprecedent time, as well as links to reputable websites of organizations that have developed curated lists of COVID-19 resources.
Subscribe to the California Safe and Supportive Schools Newsletter to receive future Resource Guides and other information on the latest research, resources, policies, and practices related to school climate, safety, and wellbeing.
Subscribe to the California Safe and Supportive Schools Newsletter to receive updates on the latest research, resources, policies, and practices related to school climate, safety, and well-being.
