Educators and school administrators are all too familiar with the crisis of mental health needs among K-12 students today. The issues are wide-ranging and complex, which is why the most-effective solutions are holistic and systemic.
BARR’s Founder and Executive Director Angela Jerabek and Associate Director of Research and Evaluation Megan Reder-Schopp recently spoke on Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s (HBFF) Let’s Talk Webinar about building a culture of support for student mental health. As a K-12 educator and social entrepreneur, Jerabek shared insights, strategies and lessons from more than two decades of working with schools large and small, urban and rural, all across the country to develop a culture of help and support for students.
Jennifer Remick, HBFF’s prevention director, Professional Education Solutions, hosted the conversation prompting the answer to the important question, “what are two building blocks of culture change?” The answer is creating teacher teams to identify student needs early on and enlisting the help of caring adults community-wide.
“I believe that teachers see and hear and feel so many things that if we can coordinate that information, we’re really able to identify students, as well as get them supports,” said Jerabek.
Check out the full event recording.