Improving mental health in schools

Students do not leave their mental health at the front door when they come to school. From wellness to serious illness, a student’s mental health status is integral to how they think, feel, interact, behave, and learn. Decades of research and experience have laid a solid foundation and framework for effectively providing mental health services in schools that protect student well-being, promote learning, reduce stigma, and improve access. Providing mental health services, ideally in a multitiered system of supports, is good for students, their families, educators, the community, and society at large. Until we take seriously the role of mental health in learning, school reform efforts, largely focused on teacher quality and instruction today, will fall far short of the goal of having all students thrive in school, at home, and in life.