Crucial Links Between

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Crucial Links Between Mental Health and School
Success
Carl E. Paternite Center for School-Based Mental
Health Programs (Miami University)and Ohio Mental
Health Network for School Success Kay Rietz Ohio
Department of Mental Health (Columbus) Presenta
tion to the Educator Standards BoardColumbus,
Ohio December 6, 2004
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Mission
To help Ohios school districts, community-based
agencies, and families work together to achieve
improved educational and developmental outcomes
for all children especially those at emotional
or behavioral risk and those with mental health
problems.
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Ohios Mental Health, Schools, and Families
Shared Agenda Initiative http//www.units.muohio.e
du/csbmhp/sharedagenda.html
Phase 1Statewide forum for leaders of mental
health, education, and family policymaking
organizations and child-serving systems (March 3,
2003) Phase 2Six regional forums for policy
implementers and consumer stakeholders
(April-May, 2003) Phase 3Legislative forum
involving key leadership of relevant house and
senate committees (October 9, 2003) Phase
4Ongoing policy/funding advocacy and technical
assistance to promote attention to the crucial
links between mental health and school success
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Immediate Legislative Outcome
Senate Bill 2 Section 3319.61(E) (effective June
9, 2004) The standards for educator
professional development developed under division
(A) (3) of this section shall include standards
that address the crucial link between academic
achievement and mental health issues.
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Guiding Principles for a Mental Health,Schools,
Families Shared Agenda

• Mental health is crucial to school success
• There are shared opportunities for mental health,
  schools, students and families to work together
  more effectively
• See Handout - Shared Agenda Report

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Mental Health Issues and theNo Child Left Behind
MandateTwo Important Interrelated Goals
Achievement and Wellbeing

• 1) Achievement promotes wellbeing
• 2) Wellbeing promotes achievement
• School philosophy often acknowledges 1 but
• fails to sufficiently acknowledge 2

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See Handout
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See Handout
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Based On a Growing Knowledge Base, Schools That
Promote Mental Health Report

• Assistance in reaching underserved youth
• Strong satisfaction by diverse stakeholder groups
  (e.g., teachers, students, families)
• Improved student outcomes (e.g., higher academic
  achievement higher attendance fewer behavior
  problems increased sense of connectedness to
  school)
• Improved school outcomes (e.g., more supportive,
  inclusive, and safe school climate fewer special
  education referrals)

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In Addition to Parents, Teachers are On the
Mental Health Front Line

• Yet, teachers/educators are very poorly trained
  in problem recognition and mental health
  promotion
• Significant need to enhance teacher/educator
  training based on analysis of issues confronted
  in the classroom/school

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Non-academic Conditions (barriers) That Exert
Powerful Influences On Learning, Achievement, and
School Success

• Environmental
• Poor nutrition
• Family stress
• Family conflict
• Peer influences
• Exposure to violence
• Abuse, Neglect
• Poor school environment

• Personal
• Attentional difficulties
• Behavioral problems
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Social problems
• Trauma reactions

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Report of Presidents New Freedom Commission on
Mental Healthhttp//www.mentalhealthcommission.go
v

• Critical Importance of Partnership with Schools
• The mission of public schools is to educate all
  students. However, children with serious
  emotional disturbances have the highest rates of
  school failure. Fifty percent of these student
  drop out of high school, compared to 30 percent
  of all students with disabilities.
• While schools are primarily concerned with
  education, mental health is essential to learning
  as well as to social and emotional development.
  Because of this important interplay between
  emotional health and school success, schools must
  be partners in the mental health care of our
  children.
• July, 2003, p. 58

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Mental Health and School Success Ongoing Efforts
in Ohio

• Ohio School Climate Guidelines, Recently Adopted
  by the Board of Education (see handout)
• Ohios Community Collaboration Model for School
  Improvement, Currently Being Pilot Tested by ODE
  (see handout)

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Mental Health and School Success Ongoing Efforts
in Ohio

• The Mental HealthEducation Integration
  Consortium
• (MHEDIC)
• Bringing to together national experts and
  Ohio-based
• university faculty and practitioners in education
  and mental
• health fields to address
• pre-service workforce preparation issues
• development of effective in-service training
  curricula and strategies
• Recommendations will be disseminated by summer
  2005

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Mental Health and School Success Ongoing Efforts
in Ohio

• Expansion of evidence-based programs like Ohios
  Positive Behavior Support Initiative are
  continuing through collaborative efforts of
• Special Education Regional Resource Centers
• The Ohio Association of Elementary School
  Administrators
• The Ohio Association of Secondary School
  Administrators
• Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success

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Mental Health and School Success Ongoing Efforts
in Ohio

• ODMH and the Mental Health Network leading
  Ohios Eliminating Barriers Initiative effort,
  focusing on the school age population.
• Pilot testing SAMHSA-developed in-service
  curriculum for teachers

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What Teachers/Educators Need

• Basic Current Knowledge About
• Role of stress in students lives and impacts on
  learning
• Signs and symptoms of mental illness diagnoses
  (e.g., depression, ADHD, anxiety disorders,
  conduct disorders)
• Risk factors and warning signs for suicide
• Protective factors that promote resilience in
  students
• Effective, culturally-informed treatments and
  supports for students with mental health problems
• Medications and effects (intended and side
  effects) on learning and behavior
• How to access community support and referral
• Impacts of stigma

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What Teachers/Educators Need

• Effective Strategies and Skills for
• Promoting mental health (well-being) and academic
  achievement through instructional techniques and
  curriculum
• Creating a positive classroom climate that offers
  a healthy learning environment and promotes
  academic, social, and emotional development for
  all students
• Creating a positive, inclusive and safe school
  culture and climate
• Working with students displaying typical
  emotional and behavior problems
• Interacting with parents in empowering and
  affirming ways
• Listening to students

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Mental Health and School Success
Websites National National Association of State
Directors of Special Education (www.nasdse.org) C
enter for School Mental Health Assistance
(CSMHA, http//csmha.umaryland.edu) Center for
Mental Health in Schools (http//smhp.psych.ucla.e
du) Ohio Center for School-Based Mental Health
Programs (http//www.units.muohio.edu/csbmhp) Cen
ter for Learning Excellence, Alternative
Education and Mental Health Projects (http//alted
mh.osu.edu/omhn/omhn.htm) Ohios Shared Agenda
Initiative (http//www.units.muohio.edu/csbmhp/sha
redagenda.html)
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This PowerPoint Presentation will be posted on
the Center for School-Based Mental Health
Programs website http//www.units.muohio.edu/csbm
hp/