K-12 Education

Eight Essential Mental Health Supports for School-Based Programs

December 20, 2022

The pandemic and other recent events have created new and challenging circumstances for everyone, and especially for our children. Between mask mandates, remote schooling, reduced social interactions, and more, our children are facing an unprecedented amount of new and unchartered experiences and, as a result, increased stress. The concern for students’ mental health and well-being is at the forefront of educators and parents alike.

Here are Eight essential mental health supports that should be considered in school-based programs:

Counseling Services

Having a trained counselor available at school can provide students with a safe and confidential space to discuss their mental health concerns. Counselors can also provide support and guidance for students dealing with issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Twenty-three states currently require school counselors for school grades K-12, with more and more states understanding the importance of counseling youth in schools. The recommended ratio of students-to-counselors is 250:1 by the American school counselor association, though some states miss this target, like Arizona having an average student-to-counselor ratio of 941:1.

Social-Emotional Learning Programs

Social-emotional programs help students develop essential skills for managing emotions, building relationships, and making responsible decisions. This can be beneficial for students who may struggle with managing their emotions and interacting with others.

Mindfulness Practices

Incorporating mindfulness into the school day can help students reduce stress and improve focus. Activities such as meditation, deep breathing, and yoga can help students calm their minds and improve their overall well-being. A good example of this is Marblehead High School in Massachusetts. There, Violaine Gueritault, a psychologist and French teacher, started offering morning meditation sessions two times a week before classes. This had a big effect on students’ moods and overall success. Lexxi, A student there diagnosed with anxiety disorders, had this to say “It helps so much. It really does; I tend to be less anxious afterward. Let’s say I am having a really hard day at school, and then I go to French, and we meditate for 10 to 15 minutes; I feel so much better. No anxiety, no stress, just relaxed.”

Support Groups

School-based Support groups can provide a sense of community and connection for students who are struggling with mental health issues. These groups can also provide a safe environment to increase emotion regulation and communication skills, identify qualities of healthy relationships, challenge unhealthy gender norms, learn skills for supportive peer and dating relationships, and even experience a sense of belonging and connection. A facilitator of a high school support group in Austin, TX, had this to say “The students were committed to the group. They matured over this past year, and many became more aware of their decisions and gained more self-awareness about their own relationships and red flags that may be emerging.”

Parent Involvement

Engaging parents in mental health support can be beneficial for both students and parents. Parents can be educated on the signs and symptoms of mental health issues, and they can also support their child's mental health at home. UNICEF gives this guidance to parents on the topic – Give children a safe space to share their feelings, listen more, talk less, recognize anxiety is completely normal, don’t hide your own stress, and finally, give children time to adjust to returning to school after breaks.

Early Intervention

Providing early intervention for students who may be struggling can help prevent mental health issues from becoming more severe. Schools can use tools such as Kokomo CASES™ to track incidents over time and choose to react to those incidents needing attention. Doing so can include identifying at-risk students, providing support and resources, and referring students for additional support if needed. The more information a school can track, the better equipped it will be to help.

Private Feedback

Equip students with a way to report needing help without the stigma of peer feedback. Kokomo offers ESCALTE™, a tool where students can submit a report that they need help or support and take comfort knowing the communication goes directly to the proper school administrator without anyone else seeing it. With the unjustified stigma around mental health, some students might be more likely to avoid seeking help, but with Kokomo ESCALATE™, they can seek help in private to get the help they need.

Training for Teachers and Staff

It's important for teachers and school staff to be trained on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health issues in their students. This can help them provide appropriate support and refer students for additional assistance when needed. By providing these essential mental health supports, schools can help their students and families navigate the challenges of mental health and promote overall well-being. It's time for schools to prioritize the mental health of their students and take action to provide the necessary support.

Why Kokomo?

Kokomo24/7® got its start in the health and safety of schools and has built out a robust suite of tools meant to help schools improve the mental well-being and safety of their students. Students can utilize our Anonymous Reporting module to call attention to concerning behavior or events. Faculty can report on and monitor the progress of their students with our Case Management system. Administrators can send out notifications to select groups or even entire schools.

Find out how Kokomo24/7® can help your school by scheduling a demo through the button below.