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Mental Health

Mental Health Instruction in Schools

Core elements in school mental health curricula include:

  • The concept of wellness (e.g., 8 dimensions of wellness) including self-care and personal responsibility for one’s own mental health and wellness.
  • The concept of mental health as an integral part of health.
  • The recognition of the signs and symptoms of developing mental health problems.
  • Instruction in the awareness and management of mental health crises such as the risk of suicide,self-harm and other mental health crises.
  • The relationship between mental health, substance use and other negative coping behaviors.
  • The negative impact of stigma and cultural attitudes toward mental illness on treatment seeking behavior and as a contributing factor in discrimination against people with mental illnesses.
  • The concept of recovery from mental illness.
  • The implications of risk factors, protective factors and resiliency on wellness, mental health and recovery.
    Instruction in identifying appropriate professionals, services and family/social supports for treating and maintaining recovery from mental illness.

Mental Health Wellness Services

Health and wellness issues can affect learning and performance in profound ways and often provide barriers to student success if not addressed. It requires a multi-faceted approach for the purposes of early intervention, crisis intervention and prevention, treatment, and promotion of positive social and emotional development.