This presentation reviews the Dual-Factor (distress and well-being continua) Mental Health model, drawing on California Student Wellness Study information. A modified 3 x 3 dual-factor approach is proposed using a sample of more than 8,000 California adolescents. Examples of schools using a dual-factor approach for universal mental health screening in schools will be shared. A bonus will be updated information about how California students’ social well-being changed from 2018 to 2020.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Research Professor, University of California Santa Barbara
Mike is a past Interim Dean and Associate Dean for Research in the UCSB Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Education Research Association and a member of the Society for the Study of School Psychology. As... Read More →
Wednesday September 8, 2021 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Zoom
This presentation will focus on the massive undertaking of supporting the transition back to full in-person learning in a "transitionalCOVID-19 era" of life.
- Participants will explore the magnitude of mental health and wellness implications of the transition back to in-person learning on students, colleagues, administrators, and families - Participants will connect the experiences of humans to potential clinical considerations (including diagnoses that are increasing during the transitional COVID era) - Participants will consider intervention and support options to help the greater community with these transitions at all MTSS tiers
Ashley started her career as a therapist when she saw two words on a job posting: Unconditional Care. The words deeply resonated with her, and her career at Seneca Family of Agencies began. She became a Residential Counselor in a locked facility working with adolescents and fell in... Read More →
Trauma-Informed Skills for Educators (TISE): An overview of the Trauma-informed Skills for Educator. TISE is designed to enhance educators’ knowledge about trauma and its impact on students, as well as enhance educators’ ability to engage with youth who have been exposed to trauma. The overview will share key knowledge and information about trauma, the neurological impact of trauma on students, signs and symptoms of trauma, and describes how trauma can manifest in the classroom and impact student learning. Additionally, the preview of concrete strategies to help educators support students in a more trauma-responsive way will be shared. It will include fostering a trauma-sensitive classroom climate, communicating with students about trauma, de-escalating disruptive incidents; and fostering trauma responsiveness throughout the school community.
This workshop will provide an introduction to understanding the effects adverse childhood events have on learning and steps to take in order to create a trauma-aware environment. Educators have long understood the stages of child development and have linked learning goals and strategies to this understanding. What we haven't known until recently is how adverse childhood experiences affect brain development. We now know that chemicals released during periods of extreme distress disrupt early brain development and compromise the functioning of the nervous and immune systems. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, one out of every 4 children attending any given school has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning and/or behavior. By becoming trauma-sensitive, we can guide schools to becoming a caring and safe environment where all children are able to learn.
Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is a community-based presentation that covers the general scope of suicide, the research on prevention, and what people can do to fight suicide.
How do we prepare for the start of a school-year like no other? Meet the partner organizations from SEL4CA, Headspace, MindUP, and Beyond Differences, behind the Coalition for School Well-Being, launched in January 2021, with the support of the California State Superintendent, to address Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Mindfulness, and Mental Health. Session Learning Objectives: • What is Transformative SEL? The Intersection of SEL and Equity • 4 Critical Actions for Reopening Schools and 7 Jobs Your District Needs to Hire • Addressing the Impacts of Social Isolation • The Brain Science behind Mindfulness
Dr. Jacqueline Sanderlin has over 30 years of K-adult education. She holds a B.A. in Communications, M.A. in Special Education, and an Ed.D. in Education, Leadership, Administration and Policy. More specifically, she has served as a special education teacher, curriculum specialist... Read More →
The California Student Mental Health Implementation Guide is a robust resource intended to support local education agencies (LEAs) and county & community mental health providers as they seek to partner to deliver comprehensive, high-quality school mental health services. This workshop will provide participants with an overview of the guide, strategies for how to access and utilize the library of resources in the guide, and take a deep dive into 2-3 topics covered in the guide, such as funding, staffing, liability, and/or coordination.
Director of Policy & External Affairs, California School-Based Health Alliance
Lisa Eisenberg is the Director of Policy & External Affairs at the California School-Based Health Alliance, the statewide organization leading the movement to put healthcare in schools. She is responsible for planning and leading CSHA’s policy agenda and advocating for legislative... Read More →
Quality physical education that intentionally incorporates inclusive Social Emotional Learning and mental health has the potential to create a comprehensive culture of school wellness. Participants will identify ways to utilize physical activity to increase engagement and school connectedness. Participants will learn how to integrate SEL Core Competencies into physical education. Participants will develop a plan to implement physical activity opportunities that improve the physical, mental, and social emotional health of students.
Allyson Reeds is the Coordinator of Physical Education at Orange County Department of Education. She is passionate about providing students an opportunity to engage in physical activity to promote physical literacy and advocates for health and wellness for all students.
Come join the California Department of Education and Sandy Hook Promise to see how you can use student-led SAVE Promise Clubs to improve school climate and student connectedness at your secondary school. You will receive information on how to sign up for free student trainings, receive ongoing club supports, apply for a club stipend; and pick up back-to-school tips to start your school year with SEL student engagement strategies.
Learning objectives: - Participants will receive information on empowering students to improve school climate - Participants will receive back-to-school tips to jump-start the school year.
Ilana Israel Samuels holds a Master degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, from Chapman University. She has worked in the field of education for her entire career, in early childhood development, teacher education, college admissions and outreach. At Fortune School of Education... Read More →
Dion is a community leader who has worked tirelessly to close the achievement gap and increase awareness about important issues like responsible parenting, mental health awareness and closing the achievement gap for African American students. Dion has made it his life's mission... Read More →
Education Programs Consultant, California Department of Education
Hilva Chan, MSW, is an Education Programs Consultant with the California Department of Education. Hilva has extensive experience coordinating and managing programs promoting youth resiliency and wellness both at the state and local levels, and has managed several federal grants addressing... Read More →
Attitudes and beliefs are the foundation for effective technology integration. Participants will consider the way attitudes and beliefs have impacted their decision making process. Next, participants will consider ways attitudes and beliefs have impacted the way they view and seek to integrate technology into the classroom. Lastly, we will consider how this applies to the school setting and students.
Technology Integration Specialist, Upper Darby School District, PA
Interested in the way technology transforms the learning process for teachers and students. Most concerned with deeper level issues - such as - trust, attitudes, and beliefs. Technology integration should spend more time discussing one's attitudes and beliefs structure as opposed... Read More →
Wednesday September 8, 2021 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Zoom
Resilience is something we’re all born with – from the homeless person on the street to the Harvard business grad. Most of us – including many of our schools’ struggling students – just haven’t learned how to access what’s already inside of them. In this presentation, participants will learn about the vital skills of resilience and the 3 keys to creating a resilient climate. This engaging presentation will empower you to deliver these skills to students of any background and learning style, enabling them to thrive not only in school, but in life.
WhyTry is a flexible toolkit and program for K-12 teachers and counselors. It provides simple, hands-on strategies and resources to help motivate the unmotivated student, support students with trauma, improve engagement, and increase academic success. It focuses on teaching the “Skills... Read More →
Wednesday September 8, 2021 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Zoom
One school day was designated for 2,000+ students and staff in the district to put into practice the fundamentals of taking care of their physical and mental health. In this session, we will share the planning and outcomes of our district’s first annual Virtual Wellness Summit. You will receive access to our website along with the templates that were utilized in the planning stages.
I am the counselor at Rancho Learning Center in Arcadia. Rancho is an alternative program serving students TK-12th grade. I am passionate about teaching my students of all ages about mental wellness. I love practicing mindfulness with my students and teaching them a variety of strategies... Read More →
Manager, Mental Health and Wellness Care Coord., Orange County Department of Education
Mayu Iwatani has 20 years combined experience in School Social Work, School Counseling, Student Services, Foster Care and Mental Health and Wellness in the educational field. She started her career as a School Social Worker in a district in Orange County, California, and since has... Read More →
Participants will acquire strategies for increasing mental health awareness in school communities. With consideration of barriers including mental health stigma, cultural factors, and limited resources, participants will learn strategies for developing an informative, user-friendly mental health website; educating staff, students and parents about mental health protective factors and challenges; and developing referral pathways with outside agencies. Strategies for supporting student mental health post-pandemic will be emphasized.
School Psychologist, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
As a Bilingual School Psychologist in the Livermore Unified School District, Mrs. Pittman is the district's lead instructor for Youth Mental Health First Aid. She trains Spanish Speaking parents in Youth Mental Health First Aid and facilitates parent education webinars in Spani... Read More →
Wellness Coordinator, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District
As the Wellness Coordinator for the Livermore School District, Dr. Hanninen-Danner oversees the development, design and delivery of school-based mental health and wellness programs and services. She coordinates interagency collaboration and facilitates the district's Mental Health... Read More →
Mental Health intern Academy provides districts additional resources, increases student engagement and connectiveness with no cost to the district office.
Dr. Ilin Magran is the Director of the Student Wellness Services department at Glendale Unified School District (GUSD). Her practice has always been to collaborate together with school communities in order to make a difference and to give more to help students to not only survive... Read More →
What is school crisis recovery and renewal, and what could it be? Join us for a dynamic workshop exploring the social and emotional climate of the school community and Herman’s recovery model (1992) and create connections with how the model’s components (safety, remembrance & mourning, and reconnection to life. We discuss how to lead for recovery during a response (like a pandemic), and ways to center student and educator voice in guiding our recovery and renewal efforts.
Leora Wolf-Prusan is the Director of Partnerships & Learning at the Center for AppliedResearch Solutions (CARS) where she supports the agency’s teaching and learning portfolio, serves as the Region 9 School Mental Health field director for the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center... Read More →
Fresno Unified School District identified a need to enhance efforts to reach vulnerable students in the district who receive multiple and frequent levels of intervention related to suicidal crisis on campus and in the community. Participants will acquire information regarding how this need was identified, the role that has been developed to facilitate the closing of gaps for identified students and families in need, and practical ideas on how to begin to close communication and service gaps in your own school district and community.
I am a Clinical School Social Worker with Fresno Unified School District. I am currently working as the clinician for a new service within our district, FUSD Connect, that intentionally focuses on providing services to students who received multiple assessments and interventions on... Read More →
This presentation will explore how through an MHSSA grant, a local county of education office was able to create a regional mental health coordination program to build partnerships between school districts and a county health care agency in order to leverage resources and provide services along a continuum of care. Participants will learn about the importance of utilizing data collection and resource mapping to inform district, staff, and student needs.
Manager, Mental Health and Wellness Care Coord., Orange County Department of Education
Mayu Iwatani has 20 years combined experience in School Social Work, School Counseling, Student Services, Foster Care and Mental Health and Wellness in the educational field. She started her career as a School Social Worker in a district in Orange County, California, and since has... Read More →
Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Orange County Department of Education
Alva Alvarez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has experience supporting students and families throughout Orange County for over 10 years in both community and educational settings. Throughout her career in social work and mental health she has worked with diverse populations... Read More →
Participants will learn about a "Farm in the City" school. They will hear stories of challenge and success in implementation related to student behavior, community cohesion, and student development. In addition, acquire skills and editable handouts to submit proposals for school gardens, chicken coops, student outdoor jobs, and alternative grounds maintenance.
What happens when your school system can't effectively access mental heath services for students? This presentation will review the process of developing a mental health clinic model to integrate into schools. Participants will walk through the considerations for how to integrate mental health systems into the fabric of educational settings. This will describe how we have planned and deployed our model and also how other districts can prepare for this work in their own communities.
Learn how to create a positive, inclusive, growth-mindset classroom environment whether online or in person. You'll be given the resources to nurture students' social-emotional growth while engaging them in their learning, and you'll leave ready to apply the strategies to your classroom learning environment.
Lisa Moe teaches 6th Grade in Corona-Norco Unified School District and is known on Social Media as @MissMoeTeaches. She was named the 2020 Edwin Carr recipient in Educational Technology through California State University, Fullerton and the 2021 IACUE Blended and Online Educator of the Year. In 2022, she was featured as a Female STEM Leader on CBS Mission: Unstoppable. She currently serves on the IAC... Read More →
After participating in this session, attendees should be able to… 1) Explain the Parallel Process and how supporting staff wellness can improve social-emotional development for students. 2) Identify three strategies to provide crisis response support to school staff in times of need. 3) Examine potential facilitators within their organization to create a multi-disciplinary crisis response team. 4) Summarize the three primary outcomes reported by participants after attending crisis response events and receiving social-emotional resources.
CEU LINKS: To qualify for CEU course credit you must complete BOTH -
Coordinator of Staff & Family Support, Sacramento County Office of Education
Stephanie Gomez is a LCSW with the Sacramento County Office of Education. As Coordinator of Staff & Family Support, she provides Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and Reflective Supervision with the Infant Development Program, Inclusive Preschool Program, School Psychologists... Read More →
Roman Catholic and other religious schools are in a unique position to address the wellness of young people through a focus on the whole person, including spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, and emotional aspects. This session will explore specific resources for Catholic and religious school teachers and leaders to support mental health and wellbeing including: ready-to-teach curriculum on mental health literacy designed for Catholic schools, QPR for faith leaders, and LivingWorks Faith Gatekeeper training. In addition, tips and information about how private school leaders can access publicly-funded secular resources such as Mental Health First Aid will be shared. Participants will walk away with tangible tools to support mental health in private schools.
When in-person learning wasn't an option, the team at El Dorado Middle School found ways to shift our practices and create opportunities for mindfulness, community, and wellness. Join us to learn how we incorporated scheduled and drop-in support from trained staff as well as an Advisory curriculum where we reinforced mindfulness strategies, school culture, and inspiring stories. Participants will learn key elements of social-emotional learning and self-regulation that made a difference for our students.
Megan O'Malley has experience as a teacher and administrator working in a range of school settings: specialized mental health program, alternative education, charter, and traditional public schools. With a lens developed from Special Education work, she believes in effective and sustainable... Read More →
Director PreK-12 Education, Ripple Effects, Ripple Effects
Ripple Effects is a proven effective set of digital programs for students in Pre-K through grade 12 for SEL, behavioral and mental health. It is a comprehensive, trauma-informed approach to SEL instruction effectively used across all three MTSS tiers. Ripple Effects is the only digital... Read More →
Thursday September 9, 2021 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Zoom
Erika's Lighthouse will present its programs that promote inclusive school cultures around mental health based on its four primary pillars: Classroom Education for grades 4-12, Teen Empowerment Clubs and activities to break down stigma, Family Engagement resources, and School Staff training and development. Participants will learn how to tailor a depression education program and how to gain access to the free materials.
Director of School Culture, Erika's Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression
Erika’s Lighthouse provides you with FREE and turn-key teacher-led programs that educate students about teen depression and good mental health and empowers them to take action, raising awareness, reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking behavior. Programs meet National Health... Read More →
Director of Education, Erika's Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope for Adolescent Depression
Erika's Lighthouse is promoting inclusive school cultures through mental health education. We offer a suite of programs designed to allow educators to empower teens with an introduction to mental health, depression-literacy, help-seeking and what it takes to promote good mental health... Read More →
Friday September 10, 2021 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Zoom
Implementing school-wide mental health and behavioral risk screening is a proactive solution for school safety and student success. Discussion of process and results from recent school-wide screenings in Orange County, CA that resulted in the discovery of multiple students in crisis that were not on school’s radar. Learning objectives: benefits of school-wide screening, how to implement, how to service large numbers of students in need.
Dr. Adela Cruz holds a Doctorate in Social Work and Organizational Leadership from USC and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has worked in mental health and social services for the past 28 years. She is currently the Director of School Mental Health and Wellness for the Anaheim... Read More →
Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years of experience working with kids and teens. Former professor at USC and former classroom teacher. Founder and CEO of Well Family, a private practice psychological services provider and certified NPA. Passionate about early identification... Read More →
Research affirms the developmental necessity of unstructured play in the lives of children for physical and social-emotional development, creativity, problem-solving, communication, risk-taking and resilience. The pandemic offered further proof of the urgent need for play as a cornerstone of children's wellness. In this session, participants will understand how unstructured play connects to their schools' wellness and trauma-informed practices, and will come away with a toolkit for how to implement Play Days in their communities.
Scott is a 5th-grade teacher, author, speaker. He was selected Orange County TOY, California TOY Finalist, & OC CUE Outstanding Educator. He's a founding member of Skype's Master Teachers and was highlighted in Microsoft's Super Bowl ad. He co-created Global School Play Day www.globalschoolplayday.com... Read More →
Co-founded Global School Play Day (#GSPD) in 2015 with Scott and Tim Bedley to address the need for more unstructured play in the lives of all children; in 2020, over a 1/2 million kids participated worldwide in 75 nations. Interested in adaptive leadership, cultivating positive school... Read More →
An engaging orientation to the science behind mindfulness, some experiences with mindfulness practices and a description of how mindfulness was implemented in one school district will all be shared in this presentation. Participants will leave with an exposure to the benefits of mindfulness practices for both adults and students, insight into a few key mindfulness practices, and ideas about how to implement a mindfulness initiative in one’s own youth-serving organization.
Valerie Velez was the Health Education Program Specialist for her local school district almost 30 years. For the past several years in that position, she provided mindfulness training and practice sessions for administrators, teachers and support staff at all grade levels throughout... Read More →
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth ages 10-24. Yet, parents and schools can be protective factors in preventing youth suicide. This session will share two tools, Hope Squad and ParentGuidance.org, that our district has utilized to support students and parents as they face evolving and increasing mental health challenges, especially as we move forward from the pandemic.
Participants will understand how their personal responses to uncertain times in the global community - COVID-19 and racism - impact their wellbeing, their leadership behaviors, and the climate of a school community. In this session participants will deepen their understanding of the concepts of trauma and resilience in relationship to a healthy school environment. They will also reflect on the current state of our school climate and explore strategies that promote collective well-being during the pandemic.
Participants will learn about the Mental Health Service Coordinator role within local education agencies. Learning objectives will include: Defining MHSC Role & History of Position Discussion of Requirements as Identified by the State Intervention & Awareness Multi-disciplinary Inside the School & Family Engagement School-based Collaborations & Community Networking
Mental Health Services Coordinator, LPC, LMHC, NCC, Dothan City Schools
Andrea Zavitz began counseling in 2009 in Tampa, FL. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Alabama, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida, and a National Certified Counselor. Andrea Zavitz has a Master of Science degree in Professional Counseling and Masters of Business... Read More →
Friday September 10, 2021 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Zoom
Screens are ubiquitous in the modern world, and have been made all the more necessary in the past year. While digital technology has allowed us to stay connected, continue learning through remote education and stay in touch with friends and family, there is a dark side to this tech revolution. Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on digital technology use and the impacts on mental health and wellbeing, participants will examine both their own screen habits, as well as their students. Gaining tangible, transferable tools, participants will acquire skills in order to support students in exploring their personal relationship with screens and the positive and negative impacts in their lives. Finally, attendees will walk away with the confidence to disconnect from screens, reconnect with themselves, and support their students as we navigate a post-pandemic reality and the gifts, and challenges this presents in all our lives.
I grew up in the Bay Area and Sierra Nevada mountains After earning a Bachelors in literature, creative writing and dance from UC Santa Cruz, I embarked on a career of service and teaching. I volunteered in Nepal and India, worked as a naturalist throughout California (I even got... Read More →
School-based health centers (SBHCs) increase adolescent utilization of age-appropriate, preventive health care services in order to reduce health care disparities and increase educational success. They are a unique way to increase This workshop is designed for school leaders interested in opening school-based health centers or wellness centers. Learn about planning stages, partnership building, needs assessments, SBHC principles, consent/confidentiality, establishing MOUs, and best practices of school integration and building a community of care.
Behavioral Health Project Director, California School-Based Health Alliance
Amy Blackshaw serves as the Behavioral Health Project Director at the California School-Based Health Alliance. Amy's professional work has centered on adolescent health and wellness as a social worker and youth advocate as well as an administrator, program manager, and leader. Prior... Read More →
