On this episode of Tuesday Tips, we were joined by expert Caroline Poland to discuss best practices for supporting mental health at your school. Here are the session’s top three tips, and watch the full video below.
- Foster a positive school culture from the top down. Minimize burnout by ensuring educators have adequate resources, empower staff with appropriate responsibility and authority, and model healthy supervisor-teacher dynamics.
- Implement proactive mental health strategies. Teach digital literacy and healthy technology boundaries, identify warning signs early, use trauma-informed practices, provide opportunities for movement and regulation, and normalize conversations around mental health.
- Address the interconnected nature of student behavior and mental health. Understand that behaviors like anger, defiance, and withdrawal can stem from survival responses. Go upstream by teaching regulation skills and meeting students’ needs holistically while still maintaining essential boundaries.
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Support Mental Health and Well-being Guide
This guide shares the expertise of Caroline Poland, Founder and CEO of Poland and Associates Consulting, MA, LMHC, LCAC, CCTP, CCFP, NCC, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. Learn how to build a firm foundation of mental health and well-being in the classroom and make an Emotional Regulation Plan.
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