Mental Health

The CDE provides strategies, resources, and training in psychological and mental health issues, including coping with tragedy, crisis intervention and prevention, school psychology, and suicide prevention. Mental health services in schools include a broad range of services, settings, and strategies. Psychological and mental health services in schools apply learning theory for individuals and groups to improve instruction and coordinate and evaluate plans to meet unique individual needs for learning or behavior problems. School psychologists also use research to design prevention and intervention programs and provide crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and other mental health strategies as part of a student support services team. Mental health services that are provided in schools may include academic counseling, brief interventions to address behavior problems, assessments, and referrals to other systems. Providing mental health services in a school-based setting helps address barriers to learning and provides supports so that all students can achieve in school and ultimately in life. Schools are also places where prevention and early intervention activities can occur in a non-stigmatizing environment.