health needs among students the rise of behavioral and …professional development experience the...
TRANSCRIPT
Isaiah B. Pickens, PhDAn iOpening Enterprises’
Professional Development Experience
The Rise of Behavioral and Mental Health Needs Among Students
Presented by
POLL QUESTION
What behavioral or mental health challenges do you most frequently deal with in your school or district?a. Anxious/worried behaviorb. Hyperactive behaviorc. Depression or suicidal behaviord. Substance usee. Aggressive behaviorf. Nothing compared to my kids at home
WHY THE RISE?The complexity of challenges students face in school and outside of school has increased in the information age
Types of challenges students face related to behavioral and mental health:
• Anxiety • Depression • Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
and trauma• Increased awareness of biological
underpinnings of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Twenge, J. M. (2011). Generational differences in mental health: Are children and adolescents suffering more, or less?. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 81(4),
469.
IMPACT ON SCHOOL CLIMATEImpact on students and academic performance
• Impaired social-emotional skills to manage stress and behavior• Increased mental focus on issues unrelated to academics• Disruptive behavior that undermines positive school climate
Impact on staff and overall climate• Burnout and secondary traumatic stress among admin/staff• School climate and culture can become deficit-focused• Trust erodes between:
• Students and teachers• Teachers and administration• Administration and district leaders• Parents and school
COMMON APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
Double down on punitive approaches
Use student support services without fidelity or adequate staffing and resourcing
Introduce multiple whole-school approaches simultaneously
WHY THESE COMMON APPROACHES FAIL STUDENTS & SCHOOLS
Focused on crisis management vs. root causes of behavior challenges
No common language creates miscommunication
Fragmented systems prevent a holistic view of students and create missed academic opportunities
WHY USE A HOLISTIC APPROACH GUIDED BY IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE
POLL QUESTION:What have been the most successful whole school approaches your school or district has used in the past year?a. A social-emotional learning programb. Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS)c. A trauma-informed whole school programd. A restorative justice programe. When I told them just do what I say and they did it
WHY USE A HOLISTIC APPROACH GUIDED BY IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE
Moullin, J. C., Dickson, K. S., Stadnick, N. A., Rabin, B., & Aarons, G. A. (2019). Systematic review of the
exploration, preparation, implementation, sustainment (EPIS) framework. Implementation Science, 14(1), 1.
Retrieved from www.episframework.com
Implementation science creates a common language
EFFECTIVE TARGETED STRATEGIES USING IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE
Develop processes for accurately identifying need
• Use school climate data integrated with organizational assessments to identify strengths, opportunities, and gaps
• Provide screening and assessment as part of the disciplinary process
• Identify warm and cool spots in the school where behavioral issues occur
EFFECTIVE TARGETED STRATEGIES USING IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE
Infuse a relational approach to whole-school and targeted responses to behavior and mental health challenges
• Integrate social emotional learning (SEL) and trauma-informed approaches
• Destigmatize behavior and mental health challenges with relational expectations and routines
• Support restorative practices to repair the damage caused by behavior challenges and maintain accountability
EFFECTIVE TARGETED STRATEGIES USING IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE
Partner with school mental health, community-based organizations, and families to create alternatives to punitive approaches
• Integrate mental and behavioral health resources in traditionally academic spaces
• Address educator stress with staff wellness resources provided by the community
• Integrate culturally-responsive approaches by engaging cultural brokers to gain understanding and buy-in for alternatives to punitive approaches
SCHOOL BUILDS MOMENTUM THROUGH COALITION BUILDING
Engaged school-wide trauma-informed and culturally-responsive professional development
Inventoried school-wide and classroom practices creating psychological safety and identified gaps that trigger students and that fail to use early warning signs
Formed implementation team to integrate multiple whole school approaches and address staff wellness
DISTRICT USES DISTRICT LEVEL CHANGE TO ALIGN SCHOOLS’ INITIATIVESUnderstood that schools in district had varying initiatives related to SEL, restorative justice, and trauma-informed practices without a guiding set of principles
Created a district level department focused on creating a strategic plan to guide schools’ integration of non-academic programming focused on social-emotional development
Identified support services functions that would benefit integration into whole-school approaches and adjusted provision of services to destigmatize use
Credit: Cincinnati Public Schools Positive School Culture Team
RISKS AND REWARDS: THE POTENTIAL MISSED AND GAINED OPPORTUNITIES
Poll Question: What has been your most surprising success from your school or district’s behavioral or mental health programming?a. Students academic outcomes improving due to supportb. Increased student-teacher or student-student connectednessc. More equitable discipline practices throughout schoold. Staff feel more confident about managing student behaviore. That it’s still funded
RISKS AND REWARDS: THE POTENTIAL MISSED AND GAINED OPPORTUNITIES
Students have the potential to disrupt school climate or achieve academically when schools reframe their understanding of behavior
When student mental health and behavioral needs are mishandled educators become overwhelmed vs feeling supported and connected to their work when schools address the issues
Students with a variety of life experiences bring a richness to schools that can be used to create a more academically engaging
school experience
MOVING TOWARD EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATIONTake first step with effective strategic planning and buy-in
• Engage organizational assessments
• Identify strengths and gaps currently within district to reach priorities
• Build implementation teams representing multiple stakeholders
MOVING TOWARD EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION
Scale with intention through consensus building
• Create a common language through professional development and peer coaching
• Use Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) approaches to pilot processes
• Identify and engage champions to spread effective practices
MOVING TOWARD EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATIONSustain progress with ongoing support and data
• Develop processes to review non-academic outcomes that have implications for academic experience
• Integrate cultural understanding of students, school personnel, and community to align new approaches with cultural values
• Create communication feedback loops to ensure adjustments to processes based on best available science and practices
For More Information ContactIsaiah B. Pickens, PhDFounder/CEOiOpening [email protected]
Stephanie TaylorClinical Director, PsychEd [email protected]