Page 61 - Wellness Program 2022

STUDENTS
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& Physical Activity Environment &
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Nutrition
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Services
Involvement
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HEALTHY SAFE
CHALLENGED SUPPORTED ENGAGED
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Wellness Education
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COMMUNITY
School Crisis Response Training
The operationalization of The PREPaRe model (a comprehensive and internationally recognized curriculum
developed specifically to address school crisis management and to provide Crisis Team members with a uniform
and systematic approach to meet the mental health needs of students and school communities following crisis
events) was further developed during the 2021-2022 school year.
Š Senior level staff including the Superintendent, Regional Superintendents, Chiefs, and Directors were
trained in “PREPaRE Workshop 1: Comprehensive School Safety Planning: Prevention through
Recovery” in January 2022. Two additional workshops were conducted for district administrators and
staff.
Š School-based Behavioral Health Professionals, School Counselors, and School Psychologists were
provided training in the “PREPaRE Workshop 2: Mental Health Crisis Interventions: Responding To
An Acute Traumatic Stressor in Schools”. This was a two full day training and a total of 13 workshops
were conducted.
Š School-based Mental Health Teams (administrators, school counselors, school behavioral health
professionals, school psychologists, school police officers, and co-located mental health professionals (if
applicable)) were provided with a two hours interactive training called “Mental Health Crisis Response
Tabletop Exercises for School Mental Health Teams”. One hundred and nineteen schools (78 elementary,
22 middle, 19 high) attended the training. Topics included an overview of psychological triage and
intervention planning in the wake of a school crisis, best practices regarding memorials (specifically
addressing death by suicide), process and outcome evaluation, and tabletop practice responding to
a crisis scenario. Survey results indicated a greater than 90% reported increase in knowledge base,
confidence, comfort level, and teamwork in responding to a crisis situation. Survey results also indicated
requests for yearly refreshers and additional training for crisis team leads and intervention delivery.
Š Master-level behavior health professionals and school psychologists were provided the opportunity to
attend “Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy”, an 11 hour self-paced training addressing
evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents impacted by trauma and their parents and
caregivers. Attended by 115 district employees, the treatment successfully resolves a broad array of
emotional and behavioral difficulties associated with single, multiple, and complex trauma experiences.

Š Behavior health professionals, school counselors, and school psychologists were invited to attend “Skills
for Psychological Recovery”, a 5 hours self-paced training available through the National Child Traumatic
Stress Network. The course, which had 85 district employees in attendance, teaches an evidence-
informed modular intervention that aims to help survivors gain skills to manage distress and cope with
post-disaster stress and adversity.
Š School-based Mental Health Teams were provided the opportunity to attend “Reducing the Impact of
Secondary Trauma”, a 4 weeks 1 hour interactive support meeting that addressed topics including a
Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), Lifestyle Behaviors, Self-Care Assessment, My Maintenance
Self-Care Worksheet, Emergency Self-Care Worksheet, and Tips for Starting a Support or Discussion
Group. One school-based mental health team attended during the 2021-2022 school year and feedback
received both immediately and one month following the training indicated positive use of gained
knowledge, skills learned, and support of each other. Mindfulness time and activities were identified as
a skill that was put to use following the session and requests were made to bring this training to teachers.

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