Providing Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Special Education Services in School

Overview

Welcome to our the third course in the School Health specialization: Providing Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Special Education Services in School. In this course, you will learn about how social-emotional skills, mental health, and learning are related. We will focus on how schools can support social-emotional learning and promote mental health for all students. We will walk through the reasons that schools should promote student mental health. Next, we’ll review school wide activities to support skill development and prevent social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Then, we’ll identify strategies for students at risk of developing problems. Finally, we’ll highlight interventions that can be used for students who have significant mental health needs. We will emphasize the ways that schools think about mental health problems and provide services for students with disabilities, which is different than in medical or mental health settings. As part of the course, we will introduce two students to help all of this information come alive. Prepare yourself to learn about an essential piece of student wellness—social-emotional health.

Syllabus

Introduction to Mental Health in Schools

In the next few lessons, you will learn broadly about the relationship between student health and learning. We will take a deeper dive to explore the relationship between mental health and learning. You will be introduced to a model schools can use to promote student mental health. Finally, you will meet two students – Kelsey and Javier. We will follow Kelsey and Javier throughout the entire course to illustrate the different supports available to promote student mental health and learning.

Tier 1 Interventions

In this module we will learn about interventions that all students can receive to promote social-emotional well being and prevent mental health problems. You will learn about different ways that schools can promote a positive environment, teach social-emotional skills, respond to diverse learners, support students exposed to trauma, and prevent bullying and suicide.

Tier 2 interventions

in this module we will learn about strategies that schools use for some students who are at risk of developing social-emotional or behavioral problems. We will discuss how schools create plans and monitor the success of these interventions using data. We will provide examples of different approaches that schools can use depending on the student’s area of need, including interventions for behavior problems, social skills, bullying, and coping.

Tier 3 Interventions

In these final lessons, you will learn about the most intensive levels of support meant for few students with significant social-emotional or behavioral challenges. You will also learn about how students with identified special needs may also be eligible for individualized supports through 504 plans and/or Individualized Education Plans. Finally, you will find out what happened with our students - Kelsey and Javier!