California School Mental Health Implementation Guide
This guide is intended to support local education agencies (LEAs) and county behavioral health departments (BHDs) as they seek to partner to deliver comprehensive, high-quality school mental health services. The goal of this resource is to create a library of helpful resources and organize tools around critical topics and challenges. The guide includes information about planning & partnerships, staffing, funding, coordination, and legal concerns. The guide is meant to provide specific, applicable resources to address the needs of partners to further the growth of school mental health partnerships.
National Center for School Mental Health
This center at the University of Maryland provides user-friendly resources and information for diverse stakeholders interested in advancing school mental health within their own school, community, city, state, or nation. Resources include a summary of evidence-based practices, literature review of school mental health research and data points, and a report on linking school mental health with PBIS.
Behavioral Health: Adolescent Provider Toolkit
The Behavioral Health: Adolescent Provider Toolkit was created by the Adolescent Health Working Group (AHWG). Developed by and for health care providers, it addresses common adolescent mental health and substance use issues. It is available for free download; hard-copies can be ordered for $15. AHWG also offers additional provider toolkits on trauma and resilience, sexual health, general adolescent health and minor consent.
Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools
The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program is a school-based, group and individual intervention. It is designed to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and behavioral problems, and to improve functioning, grades and attendance, peer and parent support, and coping skills. The CBITS website includes a wide variety of free resources, including everything you need to implement CBITS in your school.
ACEs Aware
The ACEs Aware site provides training for conducting the ACEs screener and resources for increasing trauma informed services.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) provides information on the wide variety of types of trauma, as well as resources and tools for diverse audiences, including educators and health care professionals. It contains a database of evidence based treatments for children and adolescents to treat trauma.
Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) provides training and resources for mental health professionals including school mental health. The National American Indian and Alaska Native MHTTC and the National Hispanic and Latino MHTTC offer resources and training on culturally competent practices for mental health practitioners.
Eliminating Barriers to Learning through the Early Identification of Student Mental Health Issues
The Eliminating Barriers to Learning (EBL) initiative is an innovative collaboration between the California Department of Education, Placer County Office of Education, and Kognito Interactive. Based on a training series developed by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), California’s EBL uses a train-the-trainer model. A school- or district-based team of educators attends an in-person workshop and then uses an online training simulation to develop the skills necessary to support their colleagues in better identifying and responding to student mental health needs.
Crisis Response Resources
A Practical Guide for Crisis Response in Our Schools
This guide, from the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, provides information and tools for effectively managing school-based crises. The guide can be ordered for $26.95, but select resources are available for free.
Resources for Dealing with Traumatic Events in Schools
The Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine put together a list of resources that will help schools respond to a traumatic campus event.
Coping With Grief After Community Violence
This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) factsheet offers tips for coping with grief after community violence.
Suicide Prevention Resources
Know the Signs
Know the Signs is a statewide suicide prevention social marketing campaign built on three key messages: Know the signs. Find the words. Reach out. This campaign is intended to educate Californians to recognize the warning signs of suicide, find the words to have a direct conversation with someone in crisis, and find professional help and resources.
Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) toolkit
SAMHSA provides a free resource, Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools, that assists high schools and school districts in designing and implementing strategies to prevent suicide and promote behavioral health. Includes tools to implement a multi-faceted suicide prevention program that responds to the needs and cultures of students.
LA County Youth Suicide Prevention Project
The Los Angeles County Youth Suicide Prevention Project provides school administrators, staff, parents, and students with up-to-date information about the prevention, intervention, and postvention of suicide among our youth. Their website offers a rich set of resources for providers, school staff, parents, and students.
Youth Suicide Prevention
This list of resources, compiled by the California Department of Education, provides school districts with youth suicide prevention resources, including the Youth Suicide Prevention School-Based Guide.
Teen Line
The non-profit Teen Line connects teens who may be struggling and want to talk with other teens via phone, text and email through an App.
Trauma & Resilience Resources
Healing the Hurt: Trauma-Informed Approaches to the Health of Boys and Men of Color
This brief provides an overview of the research on trauma, its disproportionate prevalence among boys and men of color, and its impact on a wide variety of short- and long-term outcomes. It also describes what is meant by a trauma-informed approach and suggests specific ways in which organizations can ensure that they can better meet their clients needs through trauma-informed services.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Trauma-Sensitive Schools Toolkit
This comprehensive resource includes a trauma-sensitive schools assessment and checklist; sample teacher in-service presentation; and webcasts, videos and online articles to learn more about trauma.
The Heart of Learning & Teaching: Compassion, Resiliency, & Academic Success
A compassionate teaching and trauma-informed schools guide developed by partners Washington State with specific strategies for teachers and classrooms.
The Sanctuary Model
The Sanctuary Model is a theory-based, evidence-supported model that provides a clear and structured approach to creating an organizational culture that facilitates the delivery of trauma-informed services. The Sanctuary Model offers resources and trainings that can be applied in a wide variety of settings, including health clinics and schools.
Research
An Annotated Bibliography of Research Literature
The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools provides a downloadable annotated bibliography of empirical studies from 2001 to 2013 that reviews the impact of school-connected behavioral and emotional interventions on student academic performance.
Using Coordinated School Health to Promote Mental Health for All Students
This white paper, from the national School-Based Health Alliance (formerly the National Assembly for School-Based Health Centers), defines the scope of mental health services in schools, highlights the growing body of literature finding a connection between health, mental health, and academic success, and presents Coordinated School Health as a sustainable way to promote mental health.
Mental Health Presentations for High School Students
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) California is a grass roots organization of families and individuals whose lives have been affected by serious mental illness. NAMI California has 71 local affiliates and represents 19,000 people to the California Legislature and Governor on mental illness issues. NAMI offers a free one-hour presentation for high school students on mental illness and recovery that includes a review of common mental illnesses, including their symptoms, and a personal testimony on recovery by a NAMI member. To schedule a presentation for your campus or school-based health center, contact Holly Davison via email.
