ED X350A - Building Effective School-Based Mental Health Systems within a MTSS Framework

Course Description

This course covers the practical details of implementing mental health best practices in schools, including using universal screeners to identify students in need, creating referral processes and protocols, and collecting and analyzing data to inform service delivery and program evaluation.

Course Outline

Lesson 1: Navigating MTSS

• Overview of the three tiers of support within the MTSS framework and specific interventions and strategies used at each level to support student mental health.
• School counselor's role in each tier.
• The benefits of aligning counseling services within the MTSS framework for student mental health and academic success.

Lesson 2: Building A Strong Base - Tier 1 Supports

• Tier 1 services in fostering a culture of care and its impact on the well-being and academic success of students and educators.
• Significance of the six commonly used Tier 1 services and their relevance within the broader framework of mental health support in educational environments.
• Strategies for incorporating school-wide mental health literacy among students.

Lesson 3: Exploring Tier 2 & 3 Supports

• Differentiate between Tier 2 and Tier 3 mental health supports.
• Tier 2 and Tier 3 strategies and interventions.
• School counselor's role in crisis management, including suicide risk assessment and threat assessment

Lesson 4: Enhancing Collaboration within an Interconnected Systems Framework

• Objective of having an interconnected system framework explained.
• Characteristics of an interconnected systems framework.
• Advantages of employing an interconnected systems framework to tackle student mental health.

Learner Outcomes

Lesson 1: Navigating MTSS. In this lesson, participants will:

• Describe the three tiers of support in the MTSS framework and the specific interventions and strategies used at each level to support student mental health.
• Define the school counselor's role in each tier.
• Identify and evaluate the benefits of aligning counseling services within MTSS for student mental health and academic success.

Lesson 2: Building A Strong Base Tier 1 Supports. In this lesson, participants will:

• Recognize the role of Tier 1 services in fostering a culture of care within educational institutions and its impact on the well-being and academic success of students and educators.
• Evaluate the significance of the six commonly used Tier 1 services and their relevance within the broader framework of mental health support in educational environments.
• Recognize practical strategies for incorporating school-wide mental health literacy among students.

Lesson 3: Exploring Tier 2 & 3 Supports. In this lesson, participants will:

• Differentiate between Tier 2 and Tier 3 mental health supports.
• Recognize appropriate skill sets and strategies associated with Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the school counselor's role in crisis management, including suicide risk assessment and threat assessment

Lesson 4: Enhancing Collaboration with Interconnected Systems Framework. In this lesson, participants will:

• Uderstand the objectives associated with an interconnected systems framework.
• Outline the characteristics of an interconnected systems framework.
• Assess the advantages of employing an interconnected systems framework to tackle student mental health.