Mental Health

Subtopics

At Risk Children

Conduct Issues

School Based Mental Health Services

Substance Use

Suicide Management

Training, Partnership, and Capacity Building

Make schools safer by improving access to mental health services.

Students often come to school with complex physical and mental health concerns or social service needs. Access to mental health services helps to create a positive school climate, prevents worsening of mental health conditions, and leads to better outcomes for students.

Mental health challenges are common among students. According to the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, up to 1 in 5 children living in the United States experience a mental disorder every year. Symptoms often start in early childhood, although some may develop during the teenage years.

By supporting students who are experiencing mental health challenges, schools can help foster a sense of safety and promote better academic and behavioral outcomes. Providing access to mental health services can reduce mental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties with students at risk.

Use the filter below to sort resources available based upon stages of preparedness and subtopic.

Featured Resources

These resources are a starting point for learning about mental health. Use these resources to support the mental health needs of your school community.

Guidance

National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules

Department of Health and Human Services

These resources – which include modules containing trainer and participant manuals, slide decks, and recorded virtual learning sessions – are designed to help states, districts, and schools advance comprehensive school mental health, as well as engage in a planning process around implementation of services.

Filter Resources

All Mental Health Resources

The federal government identified additional resources that highlight strategies for school safety. Use these resources to learn more about mental health.

Guidance

Protecting Youth Mental Health

Department of Health and Human Services, December 2021

The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory offers recommendations for supporting the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. The Advisory includes essential recommendations for the institutions that surround young people and shape their day-to-day lives—schools, community organizations, health care systems, technology companies, media, funders and foundations, employers, and government.

Guidance

Ready, Set, Go, Review: Screening for Behavioral Health Risk in Schools

Department of Health and Human Services, 2019

This guidance is designed to help schools through the process of developing comprehensive screening procedures, as well as provide readily available resources to facilitate the implementation of effective behavioral health screening in schools.

Guidance

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

Department of Health and Human Services

This guidance provides the general public with information on the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s efforts to develop clinical treatments, mental health interventions, and other trauma-informed service approaches as a means of promoting the network’s mission of raising the standard of care for traumatized youth and families.