MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC SCHOOLS

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Welcome Activity

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Clinical Team Members

 Christine Sartiaguda MA, MFT, Ed.D., Director of Clinical Services

c.sartiaguda@pucschools.org Cell: 818-795-5069

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

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Christine Sartiaguda MA, MFT, Ed.D.

Director of Clinical Services

Background

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What do I do?

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Why I work at PUC? 

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Claudia Cobos, LMFT, Ph.D.

Clinical Supervisor

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

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Agenda

Review of Ca. Depart. of Education Guide for the Safe Reopening of Ca.’s Public Schools on:

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF ALL

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• Review of Tier 1: UNIVERSAL SUPPORTS: WHOLE SCHOOL SAFETY AND PREVENTION PLANNING
• Review of TIER 1: COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
• Review of TIER 1: UNIVERSAL SUPPORTS: STAFF WELLNESS
• Review of TIER 1: CLASSROOM STRATEGIES
• Review of TIER 2/3: EARLY AND TARGETED INTERVENTION FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF
• Break Out Rooms
• Helping Leaders Support Teachers
• Question Time

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

TIER 1:

UNIVERSAL SUPPORTS:

WHOLE SCHOOL SAFETY AND PREVENTION PLANNING

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC Clinical Counseling Services A – Z

Summer before starting a PUC School:

Family Success Meetings

New Student Group

Student Success Meetings

We also offer check in meetings with any students/all students to assess mental health

Virtual Meet and Greet sessions

Additional professional development trainings

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Start of the School Year:

Joining the summer bridge experience with the students. 

New Student Groups

Teachers can recommend student for counseling services if they see that the student is having a hard time socially or academically.

Throughout the School Year:

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We offer School Success Meetings

We offer individual, family and group therapy

Therapy Groups focus on specific topics

We also offer parenting groups

Students can be referred to counseling services at any time. 

Supporting Attendance

Supporting Staff and Administration

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End of the year:

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Counselors review a number of termination activities. 

They also provide students and families with a list of community resources  

If students are continuing counseling the following year, we prepare students through discussions and bridging sessions with their new counselor.  

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Trends in the FSMs:

• Now that Parents and Students have been informed that Fall is online, there has been a dramatic increase in concerns from parents who work and are unable to help their children academically

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• Students have expressed more anxiety about meeting other students and want to know about the availability of clubs online

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• Many families are asking questions about: schedules, sports, uniforms, classes – synchronous or asynchronous, grading, testing, availability of tutoring services, etc.

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

INSTRUCTIONS FOR INTERVENING WITH SUICIDAL YOUTH

1. Supervise the student and assign a designated reporter.
2. Collaborate with administration or crisis team personnel.
3. Warn parents or protective services.
4. Provide resources to parents
5. Utilize law enforcement when appropriate.

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ASSESSING RISK IN SUICIDAL STUDENTS

Questions to ask students:

• Have you thought about suicide? Thoughts or threats alone, whether direct or indirect, may indicate LOW risk.
• Have you tried to hurt yourself before? Previous attempts or repetitive self- injury may indicate MODERATE risk.
• Do you have a plan to harm yourself now? The more involved the planning, the greater the risk.
• What method are you planning to use and do you have access to the means? These questions would indicate HIGH risk.

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

The PUC Clinical Counseling Program Intranet Section has many resources on:

Suicidal Ideation

Self-Injury

Child Abuse

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

TIER 1:

COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

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WIN (What I Need) app connects users to 12 categories of free resources. WIN is free, easy to use, and empowers homeless, abused and resource-insecure youth, families and adults to find services that will help them build an independent life.

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

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BREAK OUT ROOMS

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Please discuss with your peers, what steps you will take to support your students and families struggling with their mental health and wellness based on the presentation you have heard thus far.

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

TIER 1:

UNIVERSAL SUPPORTS:

STAFF WELLNESS

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Mental Health Wellness Check In Groups

With ALL STUDENTS

On a weekly or monthly basis during online learning

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Monthly/Weekly Meeting with Clinical Supervisors

• Great opportunities to discuss your concerns about the mental health support needs at your site

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• Time to review the counseling caseload list

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• Time to talk about current groups that are happening and new groups that you would like to see take place

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• Time to talk about any professional development trainings you want for your staff

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• Time to talk about any special presentations, workshops, groups for families

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• Time to talk about any concerns about the counselors placed at your site

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• Time to plan how to integrate the counselors into your school community like: site days, staff meetings, expulsion hearings, IEP meeting, etc.

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

TIER 1:

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

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• Establish and implement daily routines for both in-person and remote delivery

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• ESTABLISH ONLINE ETIQUETTE AND A DISCUSSION AGENDA
• EXAMINE SELF MANAGEMENT
• PROVIDE FEEDBACK

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Suggested Ways to Maintain Relationships During Your School Closure

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1. TRY TO SAY HELLO FREQUENTLY, IF YOU CAN

Try to make sure your kids know you are thinking of them, care for them, and miss them. For kids with access to technology, simple daily hellos via video might be the only time the student sees the teacher on some days—and that sense of connection is important to sustain.

2. MAINTAIN CHECK IN MORNING MEETINGS

Routines that foster connection are a core part of classroom life, and finding ways for students to experience these at home will go a long way toward easing students’ transition to home-based learning. “If you do morning meeting, reflect on the elements you have in your meeting and what could be completed virtually at home,”  “If technology allows, record and share daily video announcements and read-a-louds.”

Margaret Shafer, a third-grade teacher, has kids respond to daily prompts during her morning meetings. Kids can see each other’s responses and react if they want to. “My relationships with my students are part of my instruction, and their relationships with each other are critical to their enjoyment of school,” she says, underscoring the fact that maintaining relationships is not an afterthought. “So when I planned (very quickly!) to start distance learning, the first thing I wanted to start daily was a way to comfort the kids and let them know that I still care about them and their friends are still out there.”

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Ways to Maintain Relationships During Your School Closure

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3. MAKE EVERYDAY CHECK INS CREATIVE —roses and thorns or selecting an emoji to match your mood, for example—shouldn’t fall by the wayside. Keep it quick and simple.

Along with checking in with her students herself, Imad is making connecting with peers part of her students’ homework: Each student is assigned the task of connecting with one classmate. “Then, I’m asking them to write to me and tell me how, say, Jackie is doing today. They can decide how they want to check in—email, text, Skype

4. TRY SNAIL-MAIL, PEN PALS, PHONE PALS, OR VIRTUAL TURN AND TALK

We learn better in social contexts. For many students, transitioning to learning from home is complicated by the impact of being cut off from peers—even though many older students might communicate with friends via social media and texting.

“If technology doesn’t allow, create pen pals or other paper-and-pen activities by sending home envelopes, paper, and stamps if your school is able,” says Thomas. “Or mimic ‘turn and talk’ by setting up phone pals where students call each other on the phone several times a week to discuss specific topics or prompts.”

Third-grade teacher Michael Dunlea follows his whole-group instruction via Zoom with breakout rooms so that peers can reflect on the learned material together. Then he seeks deeper connections with students individually: “I keep one student on for a one-on-one conference and ask them to read out loud for a few minutes. This time also provides an opportunity to check on their emotional well-being and see if they need clarification on assignments.”

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

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Ways to Maintain Relationships During Your School Closure

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5. CREATE VIRTUAL TABLES (BUT DON’T JUST GROUP FRIENDS)

For older kids, says Kasey Short, an eighth-grade English teacher at Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, teachers can set up virtual table groups. Short uses Google Classroom for this because her students are already familiar with the platform. “I will set up discussion threads with four to five students so they can discuss assignments, ask each other questions, and stay connected,” she says.

Though many kids will stay in touch with their circle of friends, she says it’s important to think about pairing kids with peers who aren’t in their immediate social circle—and then mix up the groups weekly. “There will also be spaces for whole class discussions, but I know many students will feel more comfortable sharing ideas in a smaller group setting,” she says.

6. CONSIDER INCLUDING PARENTS

Dunlea, the third-grade teacher, asks students to invite a parent online, giving the adults an opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, or request advice.

Beachboard, the sixth- and eighth-grade English teacher, connects with parents each day—she uses the messaging platform Remind, or a dedicated Google Voice phone line for parents who don’t have text messaging. She also connects with families by email. “I check in with them once a day with a ‘How are you?’ and ‘Do you need anything?’” she says. “It’s important at this time, more than any other, that we are looking out for the mental health of our families and students.”

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

*Include stress management or mindfulness practices

in daily classroom routine

1. Meditation Exercises before beginning class.

2. Asking kids to journal.

Use Written Reflection

Mindful writing can become an important part of a daily routine. Whether through daily journal prompts or written reflections after discussions, the act of putting your thoughts on paper brings about a similar kind of metacognition and awareness as meditating. Reflecting on earlier writing can show students how perspectives change.

The practice is useful for academic writing tasks, asking, “How has your opinion on this topic changed after reading and discussing this text?” as well as social and emotional understanding, asking, “What did you think/feel after witnessing or hearing about the fight that happened today?” Writing and reflection may be intimidating at first, so remind students that their ideas do not have to be fully formed.

3. Practice and talk about everyday mindfulness activities like mindful eating, mindful walking, or mindful cleaning. What are other daily activities that might benefit from nonjudgmental awareness? Ask students to brainstorm daily life occurrences and ways to bring mindfulness to them.

4. The act of remembering and sharing daily gratitude has been shown to have positive impacts on both cognitive and emotional well-being. Encourage students to practice acts of gratitude by creating a virtual gratitude tree. It can be a drawing or wire frame of the trunk, limbs, and branches of a tree. Each day, students write one thing they are grateful for on a paper “leaf” and attach it to the tree. The leaves can be anonymous, or students can share their gratitude with the class. Students can add to the tree as part of the daily routine.

5. Mandala coloring pages are made up of repetitive shapes and patterns that students can take their time to color as they choose because there is no right or wrong way to complete the designs. I find this especially useful for students who prefer to process their thoughts silently.

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

*Include stress management or mindfulness practices

in daily classroom routine

EXPLAINING AND USING MINDFULNESS DURING REMOTE LEARNING

SET THE GROUNDWORK

• Begin by explaining how the brain works. Sometimes, knowing the science behind mindfulness can be just as important for a new practitioner as knowing what meditation is or how to do it. Explain to students the relationship between their amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Students should know that an “amygdala hijack” is a physiological response to stress that makes it harder for them to think, learn, or remember. While it is not their fault, it is something that they can learn how to control through mindfulness practices.
• Modeling mindfulness can show students how the process works. Do you start your day with a quiet cup of coffee or an inspirational quote? Talking about a ritual and why it excites you may add to a child’s bank of experiences even if they choose not to do the practice on their own. Modeling a mindfulness practice in online learning shows students that it can be a simple, quick, and accessible activity.
• Offering choice is a way to show students the accessibility of a mindfulness practice. Allow students to pick an activity or exercise and do it with them. Apps and videos may be useful. My students and I love the guided meditations and mindful hip-hop from the Mindful Life Project app. Let the students guide which practice to do and when to use it. Ask for their suggestions about mindfulness in the daily school routine.

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

100 Art Activities on:

Emotions

Relaxation

Happiness

Portraits

Trauma and Loss

Collaging

Self

Gratitude

Inside the Mind

And Miscellaneous

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

BREAK OUT ROOMS

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Please discuss with your peers, how you will support your staff and teachers in the classroom as they work with students who may be experiencing trauma, anxiety and stress related to COVID 19 and online learning.

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

TIER 2/3:

EARLY AND TARGETED INTERVENTION FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Final Break Out Group

Tasks:

1. Discuss with your peers how you will involve the clinical counseling program in the planning of your 20-21 year

Extra Credit!

Search in The Clinical Counseling Section of the intranet:

-What is an interesting find in the COVID 19 resource file

-Number of categories in a caseload entry

-Something you learned about in the Commitments by PUC Schools for Homeless and Foster Youth

-A resource that your parents might find useful in the “Parents” file

-Interest in any Trainings for School Staff

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PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Share Out

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Claudia’s Presentation

PUC MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE

Thank You!

Questions/Comments/Concerns