There is no doubt that student mental/emotional health is a growing challenge in our schools today. Research reflects that in today's classroom of 25 students, at least 5 of them may be quietly struggling with symptoms of mental or emotional health issues such as anxiety, depression, neglect, trauma or substance misuse.
Join a conversation on what school boards, community members and families can do to support schools in meeting the vast needs of Georgia's 1.7 million public school children. The continental breakfast begins at 8:30 AM with the program beginning at 9:00 AM. The cost is $175 per person and attendees earn 6 hours of credit.
A block of rooms has been set aside at the Hampton Inn Atlanta-Canton. The hotel is located at 710 Transit Avenue, Canton, GA 30114. Please call the hotel to make reservations at: 770.345.7400 and tell them you are a part of the Georgia School Boards room block. Or make reservations online using the following special link:
https://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/georgia/hampton-inn-atlanta-canton-ATLCNHX/index.html
Hampton Inn Atlanta-Canton
WHAT SCHOOL BOARDS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT
STUDENT MENTAL & EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
October 8, 2019
Cherokee County Educational
Services Annex, Learning Theater Room
8:30am Continental
Breakfast/Registration
9:00am - 9:10am Welcome
& Introductions Valarie Wilson, GSBA Executive Director
Dr. Brian Hightower, Superintendent
Cherokee County School District
Dr. Samuel King, GSBA Director of
Superintendent Search Services,
Training & Curriculum
9:15am - 10:15am The
Urgency of Your Role in Supporting Olympia
Della Flora,
Student
Mental/Emotional Health Stamford Public Schools, Connecticut,
Associate Superintendent for
School Development
10:15am - 10:30am Break
10:30am - 11:30am Student
Mental Health & Wellness Jennifer Cardenas,
Update,
Achieving Positive Mental Health Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta Education
Outreach Program Specialist
11:30am - 12:15pm Lunch
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
(12:30pm - 1:30pm and 1:45pm - 2:45pm)
12:15pm - 12:30pm Transition to Concurrent Sessions
A) Voices for Georgia’s Children, Polly
McKinney, Advocacy Director
Mental
Health Policy in Schools & Appropriate Advocacy
This breakout session will look at how
access to various school-based health services and mental health programs can enhance
school outcomes. We discuss comprehensive school-based health programs, Apex,
Mental Health First Aid, Sources of Strength, and more.
B) Cherokee County Schools, Dr. Brian Hightower,
Superintendent, & Team
Creating a
Blueprint/Framework for Social and Emotional Learning: Building a Successful
Plan for Students and Staff with a Mental Health Lens
Cherokee
County School District (CCSD) engaged a committee to delve deeply into data and
research best practices to determine a systemic strategy for addressing the
needs of the whole child. Our five Core
Areas are: Cultural Competence and Equity, Positive Behavioral Framework,
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Trauma-Informed Practices and Staff
Well-Being and Self-Care. Learn more about their five Core Areas and the
actions they are taking to ensure the success of all students as a community
effort. Participants will learn how CCSD utilized a collaborative process
to have courageous conversations to create the processes needed to develop a
district strategy. #CCSDCares
C) Coweta County Schools, Ruth Scott, Mental Health Support
Coordinator, & Team,
Partnering with the Board, Community Members and Agencies to
Provide Wraparound Services and Meet Students’ Mental, Emotional, Physical, and
Educational Needs
Inevitably, children who suffer from mental health disorders struggle to
succeed and miss out on opportunities for learning and building relationships.
Our school board, as a governance team, has been the supportive system behind
the initiative to integrate mental wellness in our schools to address these
very issues. In the effort to continuously improve our ability to prepare
students for life, we are partnering with community members and agencies to
provide wraparound services and meet our students mental, emotional, physical,
and educational needs.
D) Fulton County Schools,
Dr. Christopher Matthews, Assistant Superintendent for Student Support
Services, & Team
Leveraging Community, Fiscal and People Resources to Build a
Comprehensive SEL Framework with a Focus on Student Mental Health Awareness
With the support of their Board of Education, community partners,
local and grant dollars and key district personnel, Fulton County Schools has
built a comprehensive SEL Framework that consists of 6 key pillars:
Student Focused Systems and Processes, Community Partnerships, Just-In-time SEL
Supports, Awareness & Education, Support Personnel and Evidence/Research
Based SEL Programs. This session will provide participants with the what
and how behind this comprehensive SEL Framework pinpointing student mental
health needs, one that can be scaled and replicated in other school
systems.
Panel
Discussion
3:00pm - 3:45pm Student
Mental/Emotional Health, What the Board and Community
Stakeholders
Must Know About Implementation and Effectiveness
1. Cherokee County Team
2. Children’s Hospital of Atlanta
3. Coweta County Team
3:45pm - 4:00pm Adjournment