Important New ED Resource on Mental Health in Schools

October 20, 2021

This week, the U.S. Department of Education released a new resource: Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health to provide information and resources to enhance the promotion of mental health and the social and emotional well-being among children and students. This resource highlights seven key challenges to providing school- or program-based mental health support across early childhood and K–12 schools, and presents seven corresponding recommendations. This resource includes many real-world examples of how the recommendations are being put into action by schools, communities and states across the country.

We encourage superintendents to review the recommendations and examples of how districts of various sizes, needs and locales are implementing some innovative and evidence-based practices for enhancing mental health services for students. In particular, the appendixes also include some information on the many technical assistance centers funded by ED and HHS that stand ready to assist districts in this work. 

Please note that this document is totally different than the DOJ/OCR document issued last week that focuses on the obligation for districts under Section 504 and other federal civil rights laws to provide students with mental health disabilities "an opportunity to learn free of discrimination."