The events of the past few years—the pandemic, shootings, riots, political and ideological battles—have left many of us traumatized. The result is widespread emotional dysregulation, an inability to manage emotional states and responses. And it’s not only children and teens who are experiencing emotional regulation difficulties. It’s the adults, too. Schools across the country are […]
School Mental Health Programs: Coaching for School Staff
The new question about school mental health programs A few years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for school administrators to question whether schools should get involved in the mental health of their students. Today, with the skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, school refusal, and suicides among children and teens, the question is no longer whether to […]
How to Reduce IEP Classifications for Mental Health Issues
Special education was intended to help a small percentage of students who have disabilities that significantly impair learning and make it impossible for them to succeed in a general education classroom. Providing IEP classifications to every struggling student, even when they don’t meet the criteria for classification, is a disservice to students and also puts […]
PODCAST: Dealing With Grief
Welcome to our podcast: Conversations About Student Mental Health. I’m Chris Leonard, Clinical Social Worker working with adolescents for over 25 years. In this podcast, I talk with school administrators, educators, clinicians, and parents to open a dialogue that will help the growing number of students struggling with mental illness. Chris: In our most recent episode, […]
Student Anxiety: Strategies for Teachers
School-Based Mental Health Interventions for Students: When & How to Act
By Christopher J. Leonard, MSW, LCSW, M.ED. If you have not yet heard that there is a mental health crisis in America, you have not been paying attention. But because you have been paying attention, you know that this crisis is having a significant impact on school-aged children and adolescents. Studies suggest that more than […]