Introducing New Supports as Youth Return to School
With the lifting of social distancing restrictions and the return to in-person learning for the 2021–2022 school year, many teachers and administrators anticipated the need for increased mental health supports for students. One pandemic-related study by the Evidence-Based Policy Institute revealed that children experiencing quarantine were five times more likely to require mental health services. Another concern was the potential effects of long-term social isolation, which has been associated with behavioral health problems up to nine years after a pandemic.
Seeing this, Cameron convened partners from area school systems and mental health agencies to discuss the challenges and potential gaps in addressing the needs of students, their families and school staff as they transitioned back to in-school instruction.
Cameron also awarded grants to two key partners. A $98,228 grant to District 19 Community Services Board allowed for a new staff position to facilitate the Another Chance program, which delivers psychoeducational group therapy to address disruptive behaviors and coping strategies. And, Cameron committed up to $185,000 to ChildSavers for mental health training and consultations to school districts.
Pictured here, Sussex County Public Schools worked with ChildSavers to provide training at workshops such as this one, where participants play The Brain Architecture Game to learn about the many factors affecting children’s brain development and the potential impact of positive interventions by caregivers.
“The reason why we are here is because of the students. This training allows us to focus and apply 21st-century approaches to trauma in an ethical, caring and compassionate manner,” said Marsha L. Granderson, trauma informed coach at Sussex Central Elementary School.
To read more stories like this, visit the Foundation’s 2020/21 Biennial Report.