Resources

State boards have often considered actions to promote student mental health: improved mental health education, access to school psychologists, medical service referrals, screenings, educator training in mental health first aid, and suicide prevention plans.

Other factors affecting students’ mental wellness include school cultures where students feel safe, connected, and cared for; social and emotional skills such as resiliency, empathy, and ability to resist negative social pressures; student agency in their learning; and parent and caregiver knowledge of how to access relevant social services. Policies, attitudes, programs, and decision-making processes that embrace and respect the diversity of students’ backgrounds and circumstances also contribute to students’ well-being.

This resource offers six key questions upon which state boards can center their conversations about how to support student mental health.