Mental Health Programs for Elementary School Faculty & Staff
Early prevention and intervention goes along way in helping young students succeed
Recognizing and addressing early behavior and learning difficulties in young children is key to their success. The following programs offer easy strategies for helping students cope and overcome their challenges, while reinforcing a positive mindset for school and life.
Sources of Strength
Audience: Elementary, Middle, and High School Students (K-12)
Description: Strives to provide the highest-quality, evidence-based prevention for suicide, violence, bullying, and substance abuse by training, supporting, and empowering both peer leaders and caring adults to impact the world through the power of connection, hope, help and strength. The driving vision behind the program is to give voice and elevate the various strengths people have to offer and affect communities positively. There must be two to five adult advisors, who mentor a peer leader team.
These advisors can hold a variety of roles including: teachers, counselors, spiritual leaders, community adults, etc. Advisors lead peer teams, often between 10-50 students in size. The initial peer leader training is provided by a certified Sources of Strength trainer in a three to four hour, highly interactive training process. It is mandatory that the local adult advisors participate in the peer leader training.
After the initial training, the peer leaders and adult advisors begin a three to six month series of conversations with other trusted adults and their five to ten closest friends, as well as, create a wide range of Hope, Help, Strength messaging activities targeting a wider and diverse peer group.
Sources of Strength provides a recommended step by step guide of peer leader activities, but teams are able to adjust based on their readiness level and perception of what will work best in their setting. Sources of Strength templates and resources assist with peers connecting with adults and their friendship groups. These templates include examples of local faces posters, local voices audio, videos, presentations, skits, text forwarding, and internet social networking message. Peer teams are encouraged and expected to share their creative efforts with other teams across the country via Sources of Strength webpages, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Sources of Strength staff provides monthly teleconference support and planning materials and resources for each step of the way.
Cost: In Ohio and Kentucky, this program is fully funded by state grants. Others can contact 1N5 for funding options (info@1n5.org).
Pax Good Behavior Game
Audience: Elementary (K-5)
Description: The PAX Good Behavior Game® (PAX is Latin for peace) is an evidence-based universal preventive intervention applied by teachers in the classroom. The PAX Good Behavior Game gives teachers the tools to help prevent behavioral health concerns and promote positive relationships in schools. It is typically targeted to elementary school children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Cost: Contact 1N5 for funding options (info@1n5.org)
Lap Around the Wellness Wheel
Audience: K-12
Description: An interactive lap around the Sources of Strength wellness wheel. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the people, places, and practices that help support their mental health and wellbeing and learn new ways to build wellness into their lives. This is a high-energy session of sharing, learning, and FUN!
Cost: Contact 1N5 for funding options (info@1n5.org)
Go Noodle
Audience: Elementary, Middle School Students
Description: Serves teachers, and families, in addition to students, with hundreds of videos that activate kids’ bodies and brain. The purpose of these activities is to make movement and mindfulness an integral part of the day both at school and at home.
Cost: The program is free initially, but additional information and access requires payment.
Mind Up
Audience: Elementary, Middle School Students
Description: Combines information on neuroscience with mindful awareness, positive psychology and social-emotional learning. This research-based curriculum features 15 lessons that use the latest information about the brain to dramatically improve behavior and learning for all students. Each lesson offers easy strategies for helping students focus their attention, improve their self-regulation skills, build resilience to stress, and develop a positive mind-set in both school and life. The lessons fit easily into any schedule and require minimal preparation.
Cost: Classroom management tips and content-area activities help you extend the benefits of MindUP throughout your day, week, and year. Available in a series of Scholastic workbooks for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 each $24.99.
SEL Programming
Audience: K-12
Description: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions.
Cost: Varies