Conversations About Student Mental Health

In this episode, Chris Leonard answers questions about what schools can do to encourage healthy social media usage by their students, and prevent the problems that arise from harmful behavior on social media. The questions were submitted by school administrators, counselors, and teachers during our recent webinar: “Untangling the Web: How Social Media Affects Mental Health and How to Help.”Highlights include:How to address concerns about suicidal ideation What to do when negative interactions on social media spill over into schoolGetting buy-in from parents on healthy social media habits for studentsSetting consequences for inappropriate actions on social mediaThe importance of modeling

In this episode of Conversations About Student Mental Health, Chris Leonard tackles the question of how to prepare teachers to support the growing social and emotional needs of students. Chris talks with Steven Cates, an interventionist at Southside Community School in Tucson, Arizona, and a participant in Thrive Alliance Group’s Coaching, Training, and Certification program. Chris and Steven discuss a new approach to mental wellness support: raising the capacity of the entire staff to improve school climate & culture.Highlights include:How mental wellness training and coaching for school staff improves school climate and culture, which in turn improves student outcomes Self-paced training provides flexibility and better retention of learningTeachers learn psychological principles around student mental health and trauma, and how these impact behavior and create barriers to learningCoaching sessions give staff the chance to share experiences and learn intervention strategies Participants gain a set of tools and strategies to support both students & staff membersHow the program builds a sense of community

This episode of Conversations About Student Mental Health explores the mindset shift that is necessary to create a culture and climate of mental health and wellness in your school. Making this shift is one of three critical facets of maximizing the mental health and wellness of students. Chris Leonard talks with Dr. Ricki Gibbs, Principal of Warner Arts Magnet Elementary in Nashville, who has assumed stewardship of the climate and culture of mental wellness in his school and is seeing meaningful results. Under Dr. Gibbs’ leadership, Warner transformed from one of the lowest performing schools in the Metro Nashville Public Schools to being the first and only Metro Nashville Public School to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon Beacon School in 2021. Highlights include:Why schools must support students’ emotional wellbeing along with academicsThe three facets of maximizing mental wellness, and why proactive school leaders need to shift the focus to improve climate and culture How trauma-informed practices, including mindfulness, movement, and breathing, can help students develop self-regulating strategiesHow to avoid power struggles and fear tactics that harm everyoneGiving school staff the tools and training they need for classroom management also helps to build morale and retain staff

It’s no secret that the mental health needs of youth have been intensifying. Getting young people the treatment they need in a crisis has become a greater challenge because of the length of time they must spend in the emergency room (often more than 12 hours) waiting for risk assessments and acute follow up care.In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with Shana Palmieri, the co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of XFERALL, an innovative mobile technology platform that can help schools (and healthcare and community professionals) get faster access to best-fit acute care, as well as other treatment resources, for young people experiencing a mental health crisis. Highlights include:The devastating outcomes that happen with delayed and denied access to acute mental health care.How schools can use XFERALL to quickly find access to inpatient care for students, with the chance to avoid the emergency department and associated costs.How the system takes the burden off school professionals to judge a student’s risk level. Additional proactive interventions schools can put in place to reduce the incidents of mental health crises among students and prevent the worst outcomes.

As the COVID pandemic rages on, students are facing significant challenges, including:Overcoming learning lossDramatic increases in mental health issues among children and teens (leading to rising rates of emergency department visits and suicide attempts)Increased gun violence against children and school shootingsProlonged social isolationIncreases in behavioral issues in the classroom and beyond.In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with three teachers about the difficulties they are facing, what is working, what is not working, and what more we can do to help our students and schools get back on track. Chris’ guests are Alexandra Lemm, a 7th grade English teacher in Texas, Allie Szczecinski, a special educator and SEL coach in Illinois, and David Gibbons, a teacher in Texas with a focus on curriculum development.

In the past 18 months, many students experienced gaps in academic, social, and emotional development. Parents are worried about what their children have missed and how their school will ensure stability and readiness for what comes next. Needless to say, the current situation can be a recipe for tension between parents and educators. So how do we foster positive working relationships between educators and parents? Chris Leonard talks with Dr. Gerry Crisonino, Assistant Superintendent of Special Services in the Jersey City, NJ Public Schools, who currently serves over 4200 students with disabilities.Highlights include:The importance of listening and being open to criticismHow to respond to parents who come in ready for a fightTips for keeping the focus on what's best for the childIdeas for communicating with the parent communitySharing content to bridge the gap and strengthen relationships

In this episode, Chris Leonard shares advice for parents to help their school-refusing child get back to school. Chris and his guest also touch on how schools can partner with parents to form a team to help a student get back on track.This time, Chris gets interviewed by his guest, Jayne Demsky. Jayne is a parent who once faced her own son’s school avoidance and became an advocate for families dealing with this challenging issue. She founded School Refusal Hope in 2014 and recently launched her new website, schoolavoidance.org, to provide guidance and support for families.Jayne also serves on the Public Policy Committee for the New Jersey state office of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and is a NAMI Smarts Advocacy trainer, where she presents workshops on mental health advocacy. Highlights include:What to do (and what NOT to do) when a child won’t get up for schoolTips and tools for uncovering the root of the problemAdvice about setting consequences, contracts, and homeschoolingWhen to seek out more support, and what to do when the student refuses help Steps schools can take to bring students back into the building, and how they can use data to prevent school refusal

After more than a year of hybrid and remote learning, students have experienced a new normal of staying home. School professionals are concerned that a wave of school refusal will hit us this fall. How can we prepare?In this episode, Chris talks about strategies for school refusal intervention with Dr. Paul Barbato, Director of Special Services in Dumont, NJ Public Schools. Dr. Barbato is also an Adjunct Professor at three NJ colleges and holds leadership positions in several key NJ educational organizations.Highlights include:How to identify students at risk before the school refusal behavior becomes entrenchedWho should be included on a multidisciplinary team to address school refusalIdeas for a three-tier intervention plan: school-level, targeted groups, and individual supportsHow to get started and where to focus your efforts first

As we return to full-time, in-person learning, educators expect even more students to struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that interfere with their ability to learn and succeed in school. It's clear that there is a mental health gap that we urgently need to close in order to address the academic gap from lost learning during the pandemic, and ultimately to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students. Teachers, administrators, and school counselors must be ready to assist these students. So where do we start?Chris Leonard’s guest is John Reilly, Clinical Director of the Thrive Alliance Group. John is a certified psychoanalyst and a licensed clinical social worker with over 28 years in practice. He also served for 22 years as an owner and administrator of the Sage Day and New Alliance Academy therapeutic day schools. Currently, John provides weekly mental health coaching sessions to cohorts of school personnel. In this episode, John shares how this coaching process supports school staff in becoming more confident and more effective in working with students struggling with mental health issues.Highlights include:Why untrained school staff may be reluctant to get involved in matters of student mental healthThe “superpowers” school staff members can develop that help them intervene with both struggling students and angry parentsWhy typical mental health PD is often ineffective What coaching looks like, and how it builds confidence, empathy, and effective intervention skills How schools can use this process to create a culture that supports mental wellness

Dealing with race, equality, and bias is a problem that continues to confound Americans, in large part because we are not even comfortable talking about it. Yet our children and teens are watching events unfold in the world and they have questions, real questions. As educators, we need to support thoughtful dialogue. So how do we talk to our students and to each other in ways that are constructive and productive?In this episode, Chris talks with LaCoyya Weathington, Assistant Superintendent for Compliance, Equity and Student Services at the Cherry Hill New Jersey Public School District. LaCoyya's background in education spans 27 years with a focus on improving educational opportunities for students, including serving as Director of Education for the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission. Highlights include:Why the events of this past year have been traumatic for students (and not only for students of color)Exploring the notion of “colorblindness” and race as a social constructRecommendations for looking at practices, from curriculum decisions to disciplinary actions to hiring practices, to identify systematic biasResources to guide us in looking at our own thinking and behaviorHow to begin an honest dialogue with students and staff of color.“As an administrator, you can't be the person that's watching on the sidelines and not doing anything. Our role is to set the example for the district. For every person that interacts with us, we're setting an example. So we have to look at our own biases. And we have to be very courageous.”

We've all seen the national news reports declaring this spring's remote learning a disaster. Students and parents were worried about not feeling engaged, lacking socialization, and being just plain bored. Although schools are trying to create safe in-person learning, most will start the year in a hybrid mix of in-person and remote learning.In this episode, Chris talks with Dr. Nancy Sulla, author of five books on creating student-driven, blended learning environments. Dr. Sulla’s instructional plan for transforming learning is giving teachers an entirely new way to build student engagement, empowerment, and efficacy. Highlights include:How a hybrid learning environment can help students struggling with mental health issues.The 5 components that students need to get the most benefit from education.The “super skills” that teachers need to succeed with remote instruction.Why live-streaming is NOT the answer, and the better solution that teachers can easily do on their own.One simple thing teachers can do to prepare students to re-enter the classroom in the fall.

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought grief to the forefront, because nearly all of us are grieving right now. Many of us have loved ones who have died. Others have lost jobs, missed out on graduation ceremonies, or lost the daily social interaction that sustains us. What we've all experienced is the undeniable feeling that the future is uncertain. And that we really can't know when, or if, things will feel normal again. Life is never predictable, but we crave certainty, and can feel quite lost when we feel so deeply unsure about how the future will unfold. In this episode, Chris Leonard speaks with Christina Jelly and Jon Brandt, who both lost loved ones during the pandemic. Highlights include:The stages of grief and the different ways people may experience themHow the loss of shared ceremonies and support systems during the pandemic has impacted the grieving processHow young people may show grief in ways we don’t expectWhat we can do to help ourselves and support others experiencing grief

In this episode, Chris Leonard talks about how to understand and manage the anxiety many of us have been struggling with during the pandemic crisis. His guest is John Reilly, a clinical social worker and certified psychoanalyst with 30 years of experience working with adolescents and adults.Highlights include:Where anxiety comes from and the helpful purpose it can serve.How to lessen the physical symptoms that can come from repressed anxiety.Tips for overcoming unhealthy avoidance habits, such as alcohol or overeating.How anxiety can become a habitual response.The potential impact of anxiety about the current crisis on people who have experienced trauma. The best ways to talk to children and teens to minimize anxiety.  

In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with two experienced special ed teachers about how teachers can support the growing number of students with mental illness... and how school districts must support teachers. Jessica LaForgia and RJ Laxamana share interventions that teachers and school staff can use to help students succeed and ensure a more productive school day for everyone.Highlights include:Signs of mental health issues in the classroomTips for building trust and getting students to open upThe importance of understanding the causes behind behaviorHow teachers can avoid burnoutThe support and training teachers need from administration

In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with Pat Hovey, a leader and innovator among NJ Directors of Special Services. Pat has worked to implement and fund successful programs for students with mental health problems in several New Jersey school districts, as well as serving as an advisor to numerous other districts. Chris and Pat discuss the process of obtaining funding for student mental health support, as well as funding sources.Highlights include:Your first point of contact when looking to fund student mental health programsThe easiest funding sources that Directors of Special Services already have access toFrequently overlooked funding sources you can use for mental health programsStrategies for getting buy in from districts leaders to pursue these funding sources

In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with Dr. Mary Rose Scalo, a former Director of Special Services in Wayne and in Parsippany. Chris and Mary Rose discuss strategies for dealing with the heightened stress experienced by students, families, and staff during the holiday season and when transitioning back to school after the break. Highlights include:How to identify struggling students who may be falling through the cracksTips for preventing a spike in school refusal following the breakWhy the holiday season is particularly difficult for special services staff membersWhat makes it impossible for school staff to provide help to students over holiday breaksRecommendations for how to provide school-based services that meet the individual needs of each student AND take the pressure off school staff

In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with Linda McGovern, a mental health clinician embedded full time in the Randolph, New Jersey public school district. Linda has worked effectively with many students struggling with school avoidance, and offers advice and specific strategies that schools can use to transition these students back to school. Highlights include:How to build a support team (and who should be on it).Why a disciplinary approach doesn’t work (and what works better).The role and responsibilities of an embedded clinician vs. a school counselor.The key to success with family involvement.Tips for implementing accommodations for school avoidant students.

In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with a parent of a student who struggled with school avoidance. This is an increasingly common problem faced by students, families, and school districts, and one that’s challenging to overcome. Laura describes her daughter Kelly’s battle with school avoidance and shares the intervention strategies that ultimately helped Kelly get back to school.Highlights include:How school avoidance is different from truancy.The warning signs that a student may be on the path to school refusal.The most common underlying causes of school avoidance.What doesn’t work with students suffering from school avoidance.Specific things parents and schools can do to help the student return to school.

In this episode, Chris Leonard talks with Robert Ferullo (Principal of Weehawken High School and former Special Education Supervisor) about the proactive steps schools can take to prevent tragedies such as shootings and suicides. This can be a sensitive issue — one that we may prefer not to think about. But school administrators list preventing school tragedies among their top concerns.Highlights include:What happens when schools ignore students' emotional needsWhy a "softer" approach is recommended by experts as a more effective way to make schools saferHow schools can create a school culture of trust and open communicationThe three levels of mental health support schools need to prevent tragedies and improve outcomesHow school-based mental health intervention can actually save the district money

In this episode Chris Leonard, Thrive’s Chief Learning Officer, spoke with Alina Liao, the founder and CEO of Zenit, a ”radical wellness” company whose philosophy is that everything we do must advance the wellness of all our stakeholders.Highlights include:How journaling can be an extremely powerful mental health toolLeaning into tradeoffs and why this is so important in cultivating wellnessThe importance of coming back to pride and joy