About the Webconference
Spotting signs of student distress before the problem gets serious can be hard, and helping students return to their social and academic lives once they’ve been through a mental health crisis can be even harder. For many schools, the instinctive response to this set of challenges has been to add more specialists. Unfortunately, this approach does not address the whole problem, and often proves to be financially unsustainable. Over the course of last year’s study we identified a number of best practice alternatives to the pure staffing approach. These practices expand and reinforce existing support systems while adding new players to the school community support team. Easy access to mental health resources and a well-prepared, school-wide network of supporters can prevent students in need from falling through the cracks, and help them recover when they do. In the course of this webconference, we will present successful tactics for identifying, assisting, and reintegrating students with the greatest mental health needs.