Recommendations & Requirements

  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Provide all staff with timely, responsive, and ongoing training/professional development as well as needed tools, resources, and implementation support, focused on a variety of topics, including: social-emotional learning, trauma-informed best practices, identification of students at risk, proper local referral protocols, and self-care to promote holistic wellness and resilience and to prevent burnout and vicarious trauma.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Establish and communicate guidelines to all staff regarding identification and rapid referral of atrisk students to appropriate building-level support teams.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Encourage the identification of a point person or establish an access navigator to centralize mental health referrals, communications to families/ students, and public-facing wellness materials.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Not applicable
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Establish a comprehensive crisis management plan that leverages available internal and external/ community-based resources, which can be activated efficiently as needed (e.g., loss of student, loss of a school staff member).

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Compile and regularly update comprehensive lists of wellness resources available to both staff and students that can be provided in conjunction with screening activities, and that reference school and community wellness resources.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Establish ongoing reporting protocols for school staff to evaluate physical and mental health status.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Provide resources for staff self-care, including resiliency strategies.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Designate a mental health liaison (school-based) who will work across the school, local public health agencies, and community partners.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Leverage MDE resources for student and staff mental health and wellness support.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Activate communication channels for school stakeholders to address mental health concerns resulting from COVID-19 (for example, a telephone hotline or a designated email).

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Communicate with parents and guardians, via a variety of channels, return to school transition information including:

    - Destigmatization of COVID-19

    - Understanding normal behavioral responseto crises.

    - General best practices of talking through trauma with children.

    - Positive self-care strategies that promote health and wellness.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Phases 1-3: Schools should implement a mental health screening for all students by a trained professional, if possible. Any screening should be compliant with HIPAA and FERPA policies. Screening instructions (offered verbally to younger students) should provide age-appropriate and transparent disclosure of protocols in place to protect confidentiality while adhering to mandated reporting guidelines.

    Phases 4 and 5: Encourage schools to implement a mental health screening for all students by a trained professional, if possible. Any screening should be compliant with HIPAA and FERPA policies. Screening instructions (offered verbally to younger students) should provide age-appropriate and transparent disclosure of protocols in place to protect confidentiality while adhering to mandated reporting guidelines.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Recommended
  • Mental & Social-Emotional Health

    Establish and communicate guidelines to all staff regarding identification and rapid referral of at-risk students to appropriate building-level support teams.

    • Phases 1-3:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 4:
      Strongly recommended
    • Phase 5:
      Required
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