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Resources available by counties in Utah - find a local resource for a struggling student.

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Click on your county below to find the mental health agencies in your area.

Daggett

Valley Mental Health - Summit
1753 Sidewinder Drive
Park City, UT 84060
Phone:(435) 649-8347

Davis

Davis Behavioral Health
934 South Main Street
Layton, UT 84041
Phone:(801) 544-0585
(801) 773-7060
Website: http://www.dbhutah.org/

Duchesne

Northeastern Counseling Center
1140 West 500 South
PO Box 1908
Vernal, UT 84078
Phone:(435) 789-6300

Emery

Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, Inc.
105 West 100 North
PO Box 867
Price, UT 84501
Phone:(435) 637-7200, website: http://www.fourcorners.ws/

Grand

Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, Inc.
105 West 100 North
PO Box 867
Price, UT 84501
Phone:(435) 637-7200
Website: http://www.fourcorners.ws/

Juab

Central Utah Counseling & Substance Abuse Center
255 West Main
Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
Phone:(435) 462-2416

Millard

Central Utah Counseling & Substance Abuse Center
255 West Main
Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
Phone:(435) 462-2416

http://www.unitedwayuc.org/

Morgan

Weber Human Services
237 - 26th Street
Ogden, UT 84401
Phone:(801) 625-3700
Website: http://www.weberhs.org/home/

http://www.uwnu.org/

Piute

Central Utah Counseling & Substance Abuse Center
255 West Main
Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
Phone:(435) 462-2416

Rich

Bear River Mental Health
90 East 200 North
Logan, UT 84341
Phone:(435) 752-0750
Website: http://www.brmh.com/

Sanpete

Central Utah Counseling & Substance Abuse Center
255 West Main
Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
Phone:(435) 462-2416

Sevier

Central Utah Counseling & Substance Abuse Center
255 West Main
Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
Phone:(435) 462-2416

Summit

Valley Mental Health - Summit
1753 Sidewinder Drive
Park City, UT 84060
Phone:(435) 649-8347

United Way of Salt Lake
175 South West Temple Suite 30
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Phone: (801) 736-8929
http://www.uw.org/

Uintah

Northeastern Counseling Center
1140 West 500 South
PO Box 1908
Vernal, UT 84078
Phone:(435) 789-6300

Utah

Wasatch Mental Health
750 North 200 West
Provo, UT 84601
Phone:(801) 373-4760, website: http://www.wasatch.org/

http://www.unitedwayuc.org/

Washington

Southwest Behavioral Health Center
474 West 200 North
St. George, UT 84770
Phone:(435) 634-5600
(800) 574-6763, website: http://www.swbehavioralhealth.com/

http://www.dixieunitedway.org/

http://www.doctorsvolunteerclinic.org/

Wayne

Central Utah Counseling & Substance Abuse Center
255 West Main
Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647
Phone:(435) 462-2416

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Click on your county below to find the mental health agencies in your area. Daggett Valley Mental Health - Summit 1753 Sidewinder Drive Park City, UT 84060 Phone:(435) 649-8347 Davis Davis Behavioral Health 934 South Main Street Layton, UT 84041 Phone:(801) 544-0585 (801) 773-7060 Website: http://www.dbhutah.org/ Duchesne Northeastern Counseling Center 1140 West 500 South PO Box 1908 Vernal, UT 84078 Phone:(435) 789-6300 Emery Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, Inc.

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6 activities that range in time from 10-60 min.

Each activity builds on students' actual experiences with mental illness.

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9.1 Have students write down and then share their definitions of "mental health."

9.2 Find out if there are any students in the class who have relatives diagnosed with a mental disorder and if they are willing to share about this. If so, have them describe the disorder, what its like having a family member with that disorder, what kind of treatment (if any) the person has received, and whether or not the student thinks culture plays a role in the symptoms experienced by the person, the reactions of family members to the person, and the treatment the person has received.

9.3 Before discussing this chapter, have students individually take the Mental Illness Quiz. Review the answers with the class as a whole. The quiz addresses the effect of demographic factors on mental illness. [Adapted from Whittlesey, V. (2001). Diversity activities for psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.]

9.4 Have students fill out the survey on Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Help. Calculate the responses of the class members and see if there are differences based on gender and race. Share these results with the class and discuss possible reasons for any observed differences and/or similarities. [Adapted from Whittlesey, V. (2001). Diversity activities for psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, and Fischer, E., and Farina, A. (1995). Attitudes toward seeking psychological professional help: A shortened form and considerations for research. Journal of College Student Development, 36, 368-373.]

9.5 Have students conduct an interview with a mental health professional and ask questions about how that person views the role of culture in mental health and mental health treatment. You may have students write out interview questions ahead of time for instructor approval, and you may have them turn in tapes of the interviews for your review.

9.6 Take students on a field trip to a community mental health clinic in your area. Have staff at the clinic give your students a tour and an explanation of the services offered. Ask the staff to include information on the demographics of the population served by the clinic and on how culture is taken into account in the services offered.

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9.1 Have students write down and then share their definitions of "mental health." 9.2 Find out if there are any students in the class who have relatives diagnosed with a mental disorder and if they are willing to share about this.

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Real-time crisis intervention and confidential tip hotline.
24/7 free help "with emotional crises, bullying, relationship problems, mental health, or suicide-related issues."

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SafeUT answers crisis calls, and chats-about yourself or someone else-24/7. These free services, provided by University of Utah Health, are confidential. Our counseling topics include:

Depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues;

Suicide prevention;

Loss and grief;

Bullying and cyberbullying;

Drug and alcohol problems;

Self-harm;

Relationship difficulties;

Any life challenge.

SafeUT is free and confidential.

If an "active rescue" is necessary - meaning our crisis counselor believes the user is in immediate danger - the counselor will alert emergency services to attempt a face-to-face safety evaluation based on the information provided by the user.

Key Features of SafeUT

The SafeUT program and app help youth stay healthy and safe in schools by providing high-quality, confidential counseling services. The app's key features include:

Confidential and password-protected services

Free to use and download (standard date usage and rates may apply)

Real-time, two-way communication with SafeUT crisis counselors available 24/7

Tips can be submitted with picture and/or video

Compatibility with Apple & Android devices

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SafeUT answers crisis calls, and chats-about yourself or someone else-24/7. These free services, provided by University of Utah Health, are confidential. Our counseling topics include: Depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues; Suicide prevention; Loss and grief; Bullying and cyberbullying; Drug and alcohol problems; Self-harm; Relationship difficulties; Any life challenge.

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Stigma, Stress, Positive/ Negative Voice

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Stigma, Stress, Positive/ Negative Voice

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3 short activities about each topic - each about 10-15 min. Includes handouts and resources.

60% of people with a mental illness do not seek help because of the stigma associated with it.

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10 lesson plans, 40-50 min

Recognizing signs, controlling yourself, understanding others, etc.

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SEL Social Emotional Learning for Schools

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After the 22nd school shooting in just the first 20 weeks of 2018, we decided we had to do something.

In a team meeting, Dennis (our CEO) said, "Emotionally healthy kids don't shoot up schools. They just don't."

And the simple truth of that statement struck a deep chord in all of us.

If our mission is to get teachers the resources they need to help our kids grow into happy, healthy, productive adults, then there is no more mission critical challenge than helping our teachers prevent tragedies that take kids' lives.

Our entire curriculum was created for schools by mental health professionals, we believe THESE TEN LESSON PLANS can make the most difference. That's why we're giving them away to anyone, anywhere who will use them.

Each of these lesson plans teaches one or more skills that students desperately need to successfully manage social and emotional challenges without resorting to violence.

1. Recognizing and Avoiding Problems

2. When Someone Else is Wrong

3. Applying Emotional Management Skills

4. Being Aware of Other People

5. Reading Body Language

6. Understanding Your Community

7. Contact with an Angry Person

8. Living with Diversity - School and Community

9. Recognizing Inappropriate Behaviors

10. The Process of Group Communication

If you're a teacher, counselor, or administrator, we strongly encourage to take a look at these lesson plans over the summer and consider the possibility that the skills they teach might help struggling students in your school.

For questions and comments, we invite you to join our new launched SEL Champions group on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/selchampions/

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After the 22nd school shooting in just the first 20 weeks of 2018, we decided we had to do something. In a team meeting, Dennis (our CEO) said, "Emotionally healthy kids don't shoot up schools. They just don't." And the simple truth of that statement struck a deep chord in all of us.

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Most of their time is spent in our classrooms

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Most of their time is spent in our classrooms

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We spend the most time paying attention to a lot of our students. If we don't ask, who will?

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O ur youth spend more time in school than they do anywhere else except their own home. School is one of the best places for both educators and students to become increasingly aware of mental health, mental health problems and mental disorders. We have a number of school mental health initiatives in development, and are constantly looking for teachers, schools, and school boards to pilot, test and help us develop more depth and breadth to our programs. We are also able to provide educators with a repository of evidence-based programs, and materials that can aid in helping to develop and deliver interventions that can improve youth mental health effectively and efficiently.

To find out a little more about the importance of school mental health, view the slideshow.

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The Importance of School Mental Health - Teen Mental Health

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O ur youth spend more time in school than they do anywhere else except their own home. School is one of the best places for both educators and students to become increasingly aware of mental health, mental health problems and mental disorders.

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"One in five people live with some sort of mental disorder or disease. Despite the fact that the average age of early signs of mental illness is 14, most individuals don't seek help until adulthood . . . 60 percent of high school students with mental illness don't graduate."

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Mental health awareness is an important issue for all educators, who are often the first line of defense for their students. Education professionals have recognized the impact that a student's mental health has on learning and achievement, and they realize that there's a great deal that can be done to help students with mental health issues. As a high school teacher with more than 23 years of experience, I welcome the fact that mental health awareness is finally becoming an important part of a school's function and curriculum.

Seeing the Signs in My Student

A few years ago, a student in my senior class changed drastically in a short period of time. I noticed that Melina no longer did her homework, and she didn't even try on her essays. Previously meticulous in her appearance, Melina would come to school disheveled, wearing the same clothes. When I tried to speak to her, she was uncharacteristically distant and withdrawn. Because I had some training in mental health awareness, I knew Melina was in some sort of trouble.

Luckily, my school had social workers on staff who could speak to Melina and assess her issues. They discovered that Melina was depressed and suicidal, and she needed an immediate psychiatric intervention. Melina was hospitalized for a period of time, but she was able to return to my classroom a few months later. With the help of medication and therapy, she managed to graduate with her class.

Understanding the Impact

The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that one in five people live with some sort of mental disorder or disease. Despite the fact that the average age of early signs of mental illness is 14, most individuals don't seek help until adulthood. Underlining the seriousness is the fact that 60 percent of high school students with mental illness don't graduate.
Further reading: Ease Student Anxiety in the Classroom
New York mental health experts recognized that earlier intervention could result in more positive outcomes for these students. Beginning in July 2018, New York will be the first state in the nation to require mental health education for all students. The overall mission of New York's School Mental Health (SMH) program is to promote healthy social, emotional, and behavioral development of students, and "break down barriers to learning so the general well-being of students, families, and school staff can be enhanced in collaboration with other comprehensive student support and services."

The SMH program supports the emotional health and academic growth of all students with the following:

Integrating comprehensive services and support throughout every grade level

Assessing mental health needs through universal, selective, and targeted interventions

Providing access to behavioral and mental health services and programs

Leveraging higher-level personnel, such as those working with the Department of Education, for necessary support and services

Building collaborative relationships between the school and students' families and communities

Spreading Awareness Across the Nation

Until mental health education is a mandatory aspect of all schools, teachers and administrators can work to promote awareness with their students. Key elements to shine a light on include the concept of self-care and responsibility for one's own mental health and wellness, with an emphasis on the fact that mental health is an integral part of health, and the concept of recovery from mental illness.

Teachers and students should be provided with ways to recognize signs of developing mental health problems, and there should be opportunities around the awareness and management of mental health crises, including the risk of suicide or self-harm. Further, instruction should address the relationship between mental health, substance abuse, and other negative coping behaviors, as well as the negative impact of stigma and cultural attitudes toward mental illness.
Further reading: Social-Emotional Learning
Because teens spend most of their day at school, it just makes sense to have mental health awareness and education become part of the curriculum. When we empower students with knowledge, and encourage dialogue, students will be able to get the help they need.

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The Importance of Mental Health Awareness in Schools

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Mental health awareness is an important conversation few schools have with their students. Introducing the right resources can make a huge difference.

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This website lists symptoms to look for in student behaviors that indicate mental health issues.
Tips for developing programs in your school.
Ways to support your students and their families affected by mental illness.

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Educators are often the first to notice mental health problems in children and young adults. Here are some ways you can help your students and their families.

What Educators Should Know

You should know:

What Educators Should Look for in Student Behavior

Consult with a school counselor, nurse, or administrator and the student's parents if you observe one or more of the following behaviors:

Feeling very sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks

Seriously trying to harm oneself, or making plans to do so

Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes with a racing heart or fast breathing

Involvement in many fights or desire to badly hurt others

Severe out-of-control behavior that can hurt oneself or others

Not eating, throwing up, or using laxatives to make oneself lose weight

Intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities

Extreme difficulty concentrating or staying still that puts the student in physical danger or causes problems in the classroom

Repeated use of drugs or alcohol

Severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships

Drastic changes in the student's behavior or personality

What Educators Can Do in Classrooms and Schools

You can support the mental health of all students in your classroom and school, not just individual students who may exhibit behavioral issues. Consider the following actions:

Learn more about mental health by taking a mental health awareness training

Promote social and emotional competency and build resilience

Help ensure a positive, safe school environment

Teach and reinforce positive behaviors and decision-making

Encourage helping others

Encourage good physical health

Help ensure access to school-based mental health supports

Developing Effective School Mental Health Programs

Efforts to care for the emotional well-being of children and youth can extend beyond the classroom and into the entire school. School-based mental health programs can focus on promoting mental wellness, preventing mental health problems, and providing treatment.

Effective programs:

Promote the healthy social and emotional development of all children and youth

Recognize when young people are at risk for, or are experiencing, mental health problems

Identify how to intervene early and appropriately when there are problems

Learn More about Ways to Support Your Students and Their Families

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Educators are often the first to notice mental health problems in children and young adults. Here are some ways you can help your students and their families.

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Less than half of the youth with mental health conditions receive the services and support they need.

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The start of many mental health conditions most often occurs in adolescence. Half of individuals living with mental illness experience onset by the age of 14. This number jumps to 75% by the age of 24.

One in five youth live with a mental health condition, but less than half of these individuals receive needed services. Undiagnosed, untreated or inadequately treated mental health conditions can affect a student's ability to learn, grow and develop.

Schools provide a unique opportunity to identify and treat mental health conditions by serving students where they already are. School personnel play an important role in identifying the early warning signs of an emerging mental health condition and in linking students with effective services and supports.

Where NAMI Stands

NAMI advocates for the services and supports that schools need to provide school-based mental health services. These programs bring trained community mental health professionals into schools to provide mental health care or to link families to resources in the community. They provide access to services and supports and help reduce the confusion and isolation experienced by youth with mental health conditions and their families.

We also understand that schools are stretched very thin. We support increased funding to train school faculty and staff on the early warning signs of mental health conditions and how to link students to services. Funding would also allow school-based mental health professionals to coordinate services and supports between schools and the community mental health system.

What NAMI Is Doing

Supporting Federal and State Legislation

NAMI supports the Mental Health in Schools Act (H.R. 1211/S. 1588). This bill provides federal funding to train school staff on mental health related issues, to establish comprehensive school-based mental health services and to create links between schools and the community mental health system.

NAMI calls on states to pass legislation that would require school faculty and staff to be trained in the early warning signs of mental illness, provide funding and support for training and link community mental health services to schools.
Presentations for Students
NAMI Ending the Silence provides students with information on mental health conditions and how to ask for help if they see the signs in themselves or a friend. Through the free classroom presentation, students get to see the reality of living with a mental health condition.
Take Action Now

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The start of many mental health conditions most often occurs in adolescence. Half of individuals living with mental illness experience onset by the age of 14. This number jumps to 75% by the age of 24. One in five youth live with a mental health condition, but less than half of these individuals receive needed services.

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Tips on how to have a conversation with a student you are concerned about.

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3. Put yourself in the right frame of mind. Most students who have emotional or behavioral problems want to be successful in school, but have trouble controlling themselves, focusing, and staying still. Avoid deeming them "attention seekers," or "slackers." Work on being as patient as possible.

12. Make time to take care of yourself. Find ways to de-stress on evenings and weekends so you can bring your "A game" to the classroom. You might be the take-a-hot-bath type or you might be the cross fit type - whatever works best for you.

Adapted from Red Flags, "Ways to Assist Students with Depression or Related Disorders."

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Tips for Teachers: Ways to Help Students Who Struggle with Emotions or Behavior | Mental Health America

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Start fresh. Other teachers may see your class roster and warn you about a particular student, but if what they have to say is negative it can taint your perception of that student before you have even met them. If you see a conversation starting to go this way, reframe it in a positive light.

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We have authority to battle mental health stigmas at an individual level

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We have authority to battle mental health stigmas at an individual level

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When students get the help they need, they gain "on-task learning behavior, better time management, strengthened goal setting and problem-solving skills, and decreased rates of absenteeism and suspensions."

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For Melodie Henderson, it was one of those "Tag, you're it!" moments.

"When you're an educator, often it's just you and a student at a particular, challenging time in the classroom and you have to step into their world," says Henderson, a special education teacher at Manchester High School in Chesterfield County, Va.

That's what happened a few years ago, in the middle of Henderson's grammar instruction. A student got out of his seat without warning, walked toward the window, and began to sob uncontrollably. Henderson approached the student, who quietly told her that the previous night he had made a deal with the devil, but wished he hadn't.

"I made a mistake. Give me my soul back!" he shouted. "I don't need to go!"

Henderson promised him that the school and the school's staff would keep him safe. Seemingly reassured, he quietly returned to his seat.

This wasn't the first time Henderson had handled a situation with a student whose behavior demonstratrated a mental health concern. But this particular incident made her realize that the patchwork of resources available to educators in her school and district that were designed to help students who may be grappling with mental illness was-although marginally useful-inadequate.

Henderson dove into her own research into best practices and interventions. Eventually, she developed a workshop geared toward educators who were looking for basic information, tips, and strategies on ways to create a better learning atmosphere for students who have a mental illness. Henderson conducted the workshop at professional development conferences sponsored by the Virginia Education Association.

The workshop only "scratches the surface," Henderson says, but the educators at her presentations were always grateful for the information.

Ideally, all school districts in Virginia and across the country should be designing and implementing effective, school-based, holistic programs so that individual educators like Henderson don't have to shoulder the burden of training their colleagues.

Even though educators can be extremely effective in identifying red flags in student interactions and behaviors, says Theresa Nguyen, vice president of policy and programs at Mental Health America, "our teachers are already pushed to the max."

"It's best that they be seen as partners-with parents, the administration, the community-in helping students with mental health challenges," Nguyen says.

Although Nguyen and others see local and state officials beginning to look more closely at more substantive, evidence-based programs, the U.S. public education system simply isn't addressing student mental health in a comprehensive way. The magnitude of the problem cannot be overstated. At least 10 million students, ages 13-18, need some sort of professional help with a mental health condition. Depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and bipolar disorder are the most common mental health diagnoses among children and adolescents. And the overwhelming majority of those do not have access to any treatment.

The Child Mind Institute reports that half of all mental illness occurs before the age of 14, and 75 percent by the age of 24-highlighting the urgent need to create systemic approaches to the problem.

"One in five students in this country need treatment," says Dr. David Anderson, senior director of the Institute's ADHD and Behavior Disorders Center. "We are seeing a real movement to properly and systematically tackle this crisis, because what these students don't need is a 'quick fix.'"

Mental Health in Schools: Stigmas and Culture Shifts

The growing crisis around students' mental health, and the scarcity of available care, has long been a concern of many educators and health professionals. Interest among lawmakers, however, is a relatively new trend, sparked primarily by the spate of mass shootings. There is also a growing awareness of the stress and anxiety gripping so many teenagers, the role of trauma in their lives, overdue scrutiny over punitive school discipline policies, and the devastating effects of poverty.

It's the proverbial perfect storm, says Kathy Reamy, a school counselor in La Plata, Md., and chair of NEA's School Counselor Caucus.

"The public's natural response is to say we need more mental health services and programs, and we do," Reamy adds.

But much of the national conversation has been inherently reactive, focusing on "crisis response"-to school shootings in particular-rather than a systematic approach to helping students with their mental health needs.

Crisis management is obviously important, says Anderson, but communities must also understand the devastating impact untreated mental illness has on learning.

"The research is very clear that when a school has a system-based, evidence-based, whole school approach, all students are more engaged academically," says Anderson.

Such programs differ but they generally provide substantive professional development for staff, workshops, resources, and have social and emotional learning competencies integrated into the curriculum.

According to a 2014 study by the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, students who receive positive behavioral health interventions see improvements on a range of behaviors related to academic achievement, beyond letter grades or test scores.

"Improvements include increased on-task learning behavior, better time management, strengthened goal setting and problem-solving skills, and decreased rates of absenteeism and suspensions," the report states.

Despite the obvious return on investment, comprehensive mental health programs are still only scattered across the country. Many resource-starved districts have cut-or never had on staff-critical positions, namely school psychologists, undermining their schools' ability and capacity to properly address these challenges.

While districts may look at hiring more school counselors to fill gaps, Kathy Reamy cautions that their role is often misunderstood. Counselors unquestionably have unique training to help students deal with the social and emotional issues that interfere with their academic success. But real improvement to school mental health programs doesn't and shouldn't end with hiring more counselors.

"The services they provide are typically responsive and brief therapy in nature," explains Reamy. "The misunderstanding of the role of the counselor often either prevents students from coming to us at all or they come expecting long-term therapy, which we simply don't have the time to provide."

The stigma around mental health is another obstacle to getting more services in schools. Even if services exist, stigma can prevent students from seeking help.

We're seeing progress that hopefully will continue. We can't wait until a student is at a crisis state. Like diabetes or cancer, you should never wait until stage 4 to intervene." - Theresa Nguyen, Mental Health America

Still, more students are asking for help from their school. "We're finding that young people are more eager to talk about these issues, says Nguyen. "They hunger for this type of support and conversation and are looking to their school to provide it."

The fact that schools have become essentially the de facto mental health system for students may be jarring to many educators, district leaders, and parents. As important as the task is, many see it as someone else's job. The change in perspective is a formidable culture shift for many communities.

"What makes it a little tougher is the need to change how we see students-specifically, thinking less about a students' belligerent behavior, for example, and more about the reasons for that behavior," says Joe O'Callaghan, the head of Stamford Public Schools social work department in Connecticut.

But getting there requires training, ongoing professional development, and resources.

"You have to make sure the whole school knows how to support these kids," O'Callaghan says. "Sometimes what happens is a student will feel a lot of support and encouragement from a social worker. But then they'll go back into the school and may not receive the same understanding from the teacher, the principal, the security guard, whomever. So in a whole-school program, everybody needs to be relating to and engaging with each other over students who are experiencing difficult things in their lives."

"Tell Us What You Need"

O'Callaghan helped lead a district-wide effort to overhaul Stamford Public School's mental health program after three students from three different high schools took their own lives in 2014. The shaken community was galvanized to think about how to improve and support the school mental health programs.

"Just tell us what you need," a member of the school board asked O'Callaghan after the deaths.

The district always took student mental health seriously, evidenced by a strong team of counselors and school psychologists, plus solid relationships with community agencies.

"We were doing a lot of things right and our team was valued in the community," O'Callaghan recalls. "But we had to take a step back and think systemically and comprehensively about the work we were doing."

No small undertaking for a 21-school, 16,000-student school district, with high levels of poverty and a large immigrant population.

The district hired the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (CHDI) to audit mental health programs. The resulting 2015 report found strength in some areas, but indicated overall efforts had focused on crisis management as opposed to early identification, prevention, and routine care.

This new "continuum of care" is now the central tenant of Stamford's revitalized program, along with intensive training of all staff in mental health issues and data collection, an area that had been sorely deficient.

The district worked with CHDI to deploy Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), a school-based program for students grades 5-12, who have experienced traumatic events and are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The district also implemented a counterpart for grades K-5 called Bounce Back.

By 2017, Stamford Public Schools had expanded the number of evidence-based services for students from zero to four, implemented district-wide trauma and behavioral health training and supports for staff, and integrated community and state resources and services for students.

The goal, explains O'Callaghan, is to create a self-sustaining, in-house program.

"Other districts are outsourcing CBITS to local community agencies who are sending their own social workers into the school. There's nothing wrong with that model, but we're training our own staff to create our own institutional expertise."

Doing so provides a layer of protection against budget cuts or grants approaching expiration.

Even in the face of potential budget tightening, "we're fortunate to be part of a community that has a long history of supporting what we do," he adds.

In Chesterfield, Henderson is encouraged by the strides her district has taken, namely the introduction of an SEL curriculum in the lower grades, soon hopefully in the high schools.

"We can always do more, but I think we're seeing a more proactive, less reactive, approach."

That shift is a critical first step forward, says Theresa Nguyen, and is indicative of many schools and communities beginning to think about mental health early.

"We're seeing progress that hopefully will continue. We can't wait until a student is at a crisis state. Like diabetes or cancer, you should never wait until stage 4 to intervene."

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Are Schools Ready to Tackle the Mental Health Crisis? | NEA

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For Melodie Henderson, it was one of those "Tag, you're it!" moments. "When you're an educator, often it's just you and a student at a particular, challenging time in the classroom and you have to step into their world," says Henderson, a special education teacher at Manchester High School in Chesterfield County, Va.

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Full document of resources provided for teachers to develop their classroom with positive mental health attitudes, to support their affected students, etc.

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Tips for implementing mental health education

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Tips for implementing mental health education

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Includes information on pre-class preparation, utilizing discussion groups, and the case teaching method.

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Login - CAS - Central Authentication Service

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5 lesson plans that can be adapted to any age group.
30-40 min.

Uses different types of activities within every lesson - drama, movement, visual arts, writing, speaking, etc.

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Mental Health may not be the easiest topic to discuss with young people so we have created several activities that help you begin the conversation.

The activities can be adapted for virtually any age group and address several different modes of learning including dramatic arts, creative movement, visual arts, and language arts.

Some of the activities, like the creative movement and discussion activities, focus on group interaction and may not result in a submission for Open*Up. They will, however, get your students thinking about mental health and perhaps help them be more understanding and accepting of each other.

Getting To Know You
PDF of Lesson Plan
This activity invites students to identify their own special qualities and then to learn about the special qualities of others. We sometimes allow differences among us to keep us apart. This activity encourages students to recognize and articulate what they have in common with others but also what is different or "unique" about their fellow students.

How Are You Feeling?
PDF of Lesson Plan
Empathy comes from an understanding of what other people are feeling. This activity will encourage empathy by helping students recognize the emotions of another person from the situations that person experiences and through his or her expressions.

It's All In Your Viewpoint
PDF of Lesson Plan
Situations aren't always what they seem. Using a well-known fairy tale, this lesson explores what happens when we take time to consider the different ways a particular scenario might have developed.

Simon's Hook
PDF of Lesson Plan
When teased, children often end up being hurt (emotionally, physically, or both), upset, and victimized. This activity will empower students so they can learn effective ways of handling the difficult situation of being teased or bullied and avoid being victimized.

Tools of Friendship
PDF of Lesson Plan
During the school years, children start to choose their friends more deliberately. This activity asks students to look beyond symptoms and behaviors of mental health disorders and appreciate people for their best qualities, not just their most obvious (and sometimes most annoying) ones.

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Mental Health may not be the easiest topic to discuss with young people so we have created several activities that help you begin the conversation. The activities can be adapted for virtually any age group and address several different modes of learning including dramatic arts, creative movement, visual arts, and language arts.

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30-40 min lesson plan

Understand mental illness facts and think about what they would do in situations.

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Differentiated for each grade level - activities for whole school and class level for mental health week.
30-40 min

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100,000 + Utah students need services.

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Survey: More than 100K Utah students need mental health services

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SALT LAKE CITY - A survey sent to Utah's school districts has estimated that over 100,000 students are in need of mental health services. The survey was conducted on behalf of the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee of the Utah State Legislature. Results were presented to the subcommittee Monday.

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Prevention activities, responsive planning, and research on what Utah students specifically need.

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1/3 students grades 9-12 in Utah have depressive symptoms.
10% of Utah students grades 9-12 attempted suicide 1+ times.

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Depression symptoms among high school students (grades 9-12), 2017

Percent of high school students who report they felt sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities (during the 12 months before the survey)

Utah

United States

Depressive episodes, ages 12-17, 2015-2016

Percent of adolescents ages 12-17 who report they had at least 1 major depressive episode (during the 12 months before the survey)

Utah

United States

Suicidal thoughts, attempts, and related injuries among high school students (grades 9-12), 2017

Percent of high school students who report they seriously considered attempting suicide (during the 12 months before the survey)

Utah

United States

Percent of high school students who report they attempted suicide 1 or more times (during the 12 months before the survey)

Utah

United States

Percent of high school students who report they attempted suicide resulting in an injury, poisoning, or overdose that had to be treated by a doctor or nurse (during the 12 months before the survey)

Utah

United States

Content created by Office of Adolescent Health
Content last reviewed on November 14, 2018

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Percent of high school students who report they felt sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities (during the 12 months before the survey) Utah United States Percent of adolescents ages 12-17 who report they had

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The core standards for health education - which should branch to all subjects - include mental health.

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1 in 10 high school students will attempt suicide this year, 1 in 3 will need serious medical attention, and 5,000 young Americans (15 to 25 years old) will die from self-inflicted injuries . While statistics can be haunting, they are hard to connect with if we do not take the time to see these numbers as our friends, neighbors, family or peers. Comprehending the impact of suicide in our community is vital. Suicide is the leading cause of death for youth (10-17) in Utah, and prevention programs have done little to halt the upward trend . After this past year at Herriman High School, located in the southwest end of the Salt Lake Valley, Jordan School District is working to better address mental health in their schools by adding more trained psychologists to their staff. However, many of these psychologists are expected to serve hundreds of students, as Utah's public school enrollment has exceeded 650,000 students . To better protect and support Utah's youth, more resources need to be delegated to mental health service and education.

After the 7th suicide, Herriman High School officials and other community members began showering students with superficial support, everything from post-it notes with kind words to balloons bearing the message "You are worth more than gold!" A junior at Herriman, Trevor Nelson, while appreciative of the community's efforts, did not believe these responses truly benefited at-risk students. While there is no clear formula on how best to help students contemplating suicide, The Suicide Prevention Resource Center recommends utilizing mental health professionals to identify those at risk and treating them. Community members and businesses eager to address the need at Herriman High could have donated resources to bolster the high school's current counseling services as only two counselors serve this high-need population of almost 3,000 students .

In the first Utah Core Standards for Health Education , it reads, "Students will demonstrate the ability to use knowledge, skills, and strategies related to mental and emotional health to enhance self-concept and relationships with others." Teachers are encouraged to discuss the prevalence of mental illness in our state and educate their students about the resources available to address mental health issues. Sadly, these important conversations can be stifled by societal stigmas or a teacher's fear of creating a suicide cluster in their school. However, a disruption in the public's knowledge does not translate to disruption in suicide rates . Teachers can and should talk about mental health and suicide without focusing on actual means of self-harm.

In the student-run publication, The Herriman Telegram , News Editor Conor Spahr wrote about the rash of suicides affecting his high school community, "[It's] clear that Utah has a serious problem on its hands. What isn't clear is the solution. " Until researchers are better able to isolate what methods best protect youth from suicide, increasing the number of trained mental health professionals in schools and educating teachers on how best to talk about suicide in their classrooms is our state's best way to prevent student suicide. This problem will not be solved quickly, but progress is vital. Wars come and go, epidemics come and go - suicide thus far has stayed.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, confidential free help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 to see 24-hour help.

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Barron: Increase Mental Health Resources to Protect Utah's Youth

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1 in 10 high school students will attempt suicide this year, 1 in 3 will need serious medical attention, and 5,000 young Americans (15 to 25 years old) will die from self-inflicted injuries. While statistics can be haunting, they are hard to connect with if we do not take the time to see these numbers...

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Resources for Utah youth in crisis