Page 76 - Superintendent Annual Report 2023-24
P. 76
Trauma-Informed and Evidence-Based Schoolwide Mental Health Crisis Response
Schools have highly trained and skilled professionals in place to support student mental health, including when a crisis
event such as a death, accident, or other traumatic event impacts the school community.
School-based mental health professionals are trained in the nationally recognized and evidence-based PREPaRE
Crisis Response Model (Prevent, Reaffirm, Evaluate, Provide, Respond, Examine). These professionals work within a
unified, multidisciplinary crisis team to support the mental health needs of the school community in the aftermath of
a traumatic event.
When the mental health needs of a school community exceed available school-based resources
following a traumatic event, School Psychological Services provides school teams with the
support of additional trained and experienced District-level mental health crisis responders.
During FY24, approximately 40 schools received further support from the District-level mental
health crisis response team. The team worked collaboratively with school-based crisis teams to
provide a uniform, evidence-based mental health response to support students, staff, and families.
Mental Health Crisis Response Training and Support
Mental health crisis response training was provided to all District mental health professionals (school psychologists, school
counselors, school behavioral health professionals, and CAPE team members) throughout FY24.
Courses included:
• PREPaRE Workshop 2: Mental Health Crisis Interventions: Responding to an Acute Traumatic Stressor in Schools
Mental Health Crisis Response Tabletop Training for School Mental Health Teams
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Training
• Skills for Psychological Recovery
• Culturally Competent Mental Health Crisis Response
Self-care training and support for District mental health professionals, school police, and educators was available through
the “Reducing the Impact of Secondary Trauma” course throughout FY24. Training and support were available monthly for
mental health professionals.
Behavioral and Mental Health Resource Tile on the District Portal
In FY24, mental health resources were made available to District employees through a resource tile, Behavioral and Mental
Health. Information available includes resources for student support, crisis response, bulletins, and a professional learning
calendar.
School Behavioral Health Professionals
School Behavioral Health Professionals (SBHP) are in 177 District-operated schools. The roles of the SBHP are to facilitate
programs throughout the school to teach students, teachers, and staff about prevention, early identification of concerns,
and addressing behavioral and mental health challenges.
In FY24 School Behavioral Health Professionals:
• Worked with 23,213 students individually or in small groups.
• Provided 128,161 individual sessions with students.
• Participated in 43,826 additional services and activities such as school-based team meetings, teacher consultations
and parent meetings.
76 Superintendent Annual Report 2023 - 2024