UDSD – Behavioral Health Awareness
Good morning everyone and thank you for taking the time to be here today. Today’s session is about behavioral health awareness, understanding what behavioral health means, recognizing signs that a student might be struggling, and knowing what role each of us can play in creating a supportive school environment. Behavioral health is not just about mental illness. It’s about emotional well-being, coping skills, relationships, resilience. Every student’s mental and emotional health directly impacts their learning, behavior, and success in our schools. Let’s start by defining what we mean by behavioral health. Behavioral health is defined as the promotion of mental health, resilience, and well-being. Behavioral health includes mental health, emotional regulation, and how individuals manage stress and relationships. It influences how students think, feel, and act in daily life. When we talk about behavioral health, we’re not just referring to diagnosis like anxiety or ADHD. We’re also referring to habits, coping skills, and support systems that allow students to manage life’s challenges in healthy ways. Healthy behavioral patterns lead to positive engagement in learning. Unhealthy patterns, often caused by stress, trauma, or unmet needs, can show up as behavioral issues, withdrawal, or declining performance. It is important to understand the distinction between mental and behavioral health and mental health disorders. And here we summarize the aspects of these topics relevant to you as a member of your school staff. What is a mental health disorder and how does it relate to mental health and behavioral health? A mental health disorder is characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion, or behavior. and is associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. A mental health disorder is distinct from developmentally normal in brief episodes of feeling sad, lonely, or overwhelmed. A mental health disorder involves serious changes in how we think, feel, and act. The term mental health disorder covers a broad range of conditions including anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, behavioral disorders, neurodedevelopmental disorders, including disorders of intellectual development, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Mental health disorders can have profound impacts on a child’s day-to-day functioning at school, home, or in the community. Mental health disorders are diagnosed by a licensed trained professional based on set criteria. It is also important to understand the course of disorders can differ significantly. Disorders present is short or ongoing or long-term. Some individuals may experience a mental health condition for a period of time and with treatment and the development of effective coping strategies their symptoms may abate and not occur again in the future. It is also possible for some mental illnesses such as depression to manifest for the first time in adolescence, remmit with treatment, and then reemerge later in life. Some individuals may experience lifelong mental health symptoms and will need to develop strategies to address those issues throughout their lives. Mental and behavioral health, distinct from mental health disorders, should be thought of as a continuum we all navigate. Being mentally healthy does not mean feeling happy all the time. It also does not mean the absence of strong feelings of sadness or anger, anxiety when those emotions are appropriate. Consider this mental health continuum model. It is common that over time a child may be located at different points on the continuum, moving from well to coping to struggling equally in the other direction. Occasionally, some children may become unwell at times throughout their development. In other words, mental health and well-being is a lifelong fluid process that requires the same attention as physical health. It is normal to have an emotional response to situations that arise in our lives. Being mentally healthy involves having a full spectrum of feelings and emotions and being able to identify and manage feelings effectively. We can encourage children to be mentally healthy by helping them to establish positive connected relationships and to develop habits such as restful restorative sleep, exercise, and good nutrition. All of which promote mental and physical well-being. By framing our thinking around mental health and mental health disorders in this way, we can provide support to our students as they navigate typical life experiences. We can also address their feelings when they are experiencing mental health concerns and mental health disorders. Having established some of the basic definitions and scope of mental health, we’ll now turn to thinking about what signs and symptoms a student may be experiencing when they are struggling with their mental health. In spite of the enduring stigma associated with mental health conditions, they are statistically common. Longitudinal data from the center of disease control reveal that approximately 20% of students have diagnosible mental health disorders. The rates of diagnosis are increasing and many students suffer from more than one mental health condition. For instance, about three and four children diagnosed with depression also have the diagnosis of anxiety. This means that if 20% of your children have a diagnosible mental health disorder and a classroom of 25 students, five students will be experiencing a mental health disorder. It is useful to understand the prevailance of mental health disorders so that we alert to signs and symptoms of concern. Let’s look at some of the most common behavioral health challenges we might see in a student today. Anxiety which often presents as perfectionism, avoidance or physical complaints like stomach aches. Depression which presents as withdrawal, irritability, lack of motivation or sudden drops in grades. Trauma related behaviors that present as hypervigilance, aggression, startle response or difficulty trusting adults. ADHD or attention challenges which present impulsivity, disorganization, inconsistent work completion, and finally social isolation. Students who consistently separate themselves or have no peer connections. These behaviors are often communications. They tell us that something deeper may be going on. These next few slides are meant to provide an overview of potential indicators of concern. It is important to keep in mind that children grow and develop differently and at their own pace. Some indicators may be developmentally normal, but still a cause for concern for children, teens, and the adults in their lives. Remember, the key to awareness is observation. Depending on the child’s age, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical abilities, signs of mental health distress can manifest in a school setting in some of the following ways. Academically, avoiding specific tasks or avoiding specific classes. Truency, poor grades, declining from a previous level, missing assignments, difficulty with group work, displaying signs of perfectionism that interfere with a student’s ability to complete work. Socially, little to no interaction with other students or staff. Isolating during times of typical opportunities for engagement, such as lunch, office hours, study halls, assemblies, or field trips. Quitting clubs or teams they once enjoyed. Refusing to join clubs or teams, or engage in other age appropriate social events. Hanging out with people who are using drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. Emotionally, we would be on the lookout for increased irritability, intense uncontrolled anger, verbal threatening of others, talking, writing, drawing, or acting out about feelings of distress, shutting down, sharing thoughts of harming self or others, or poor self-esteem or self-image. Emotionally, we be on the lookout for physical aggression, including fighting, hitting walls, kicking chairs or desks, argumentative or otherwise very confrontational, sleeping in class, asking to go to the nurse often, complaining of stomach aches or headaches, eating little or no food during lunch, avoiding the lunchroom altogether, wearing clothing not appropriate to the climate, asking to go to the restroom more than a typical student. It is important to note that experiencing one or more of these signs or symptoms does not necessarily mean a person has a mental health disorder. Children and adolescence may experience or present some of these behaviors or characteristics from time to time as part of developmentally normal social and emotional growth. However, these symptoms may indicate the need for further evaluation or support from the child’s school-based team. All school employees, including but not limited to school safety officers, office staff, teachers, coaches, custodial, maintenance staff, school counselors, bus drivers, school psychiatrist, school social workers, and administrators are all members of the child’s team and they should share the concern about a student to the appropriate school-based staff. To provide as much information as possible, consider the following. The frequency. How often does this behavior happen? Duration. How long has this been going on for? Intensity. How much does this interfere with their ability to function, engage in normal life activities? Child and adolescent symptoms of mental health concerns and mental illness can manifest in many ways. Where a child is already identified with a mental health concern or disorder, concern may increase where there are observed changes to a student’s baseline behaviors. how that individually typically engages with the world, thinks, and feels. Determining baseline behavior is most often successful within the context of a child- centered team. His perspective from different viewpoints is most likely to identify shifts in thoughts, feelings, or actions. Team members might include the students teacher, counselor, school nurse, administrators, or school mental health professionals, and parent and guardian. Anytime the significant behavioral changes that interfere with the child’s ability to access the curriculum, participate in pro-social relationships or activities are noted, the child’s team should explore possible explanations for the change in behavior. While signs and symptoms of mental health concerns can vary depending on specific conditions, there are some common indicators that may suggest that a student needs help and support. The information pro provided is not exhaustive and should not be viewed as a checklist, but these behaviors may serve as indicators that a child is in need of support or services. Persistent sadness, hopelessness, or general feeling of emptiness. Intense or excessive worry, anxiety or fear. Rapid or extreme changes in mood such as frequent mood swings. Social withdrawal and loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed. Difficulty concentrating, making decisions or experiencing memory problems. Changes in appetite or weight. Either significant increase or decrease. Sleep disturbances such as insomnia or excessive sleeping. Fatigue or loss of energy. Feeling constantly tired or lacking motivation. Irritability. agitation or restlessness. Physical symptoms without an apparent medical cause such as a headache or stomach ache. Increased use of alcohol or drugs or engaging in other risky behaviors. Suicidal thoughts, self harm, or expressing the desire to die. Thoughts and behaviors involving hurting others. As educators and staff, we are in a unique position. We often spend more waking hours with children than anyone else. that gives us a window into their emotional worlds. Research shows the behavioral health challenges can directly impact attendance, classroom engagement, and long-term outcomes. Recognizing early signs and providing supportive responses can make a huge difference. This doesn’t mean we’re mental health clinicians. Our role is awareness, connection, and referral. So, what can we do about it? Observe and document what you see, behavior, patterns, and changes. Communicate. Communicate with your school counselor, nurse, or administrator. Do not diagnose. Focus on what you notice, not what you assume. Create a supportive classroom climate. Greet students by name. Model calm behavior. Acknowledge effort and emotion. Follow district protocols for student assistance or threat assessment teams if safety concerns arise. Even small consistent gestures of care can make a major difference in a student’s life. One of the biggest barriers to behavioral health support is stigma. Stigma makes students feel ashamed of their struggles and prevents them from seeking help. As adults, we can help reduce stigma by using respectful language, avoiding labels, and normalizing the idea that everyone needs help. Sometimes phrases like, “What’s wrong with you?” can be replaced with, “What’s happening for you? How can I help you?” A culture of support starts with relationships. Every positive interaction, even a smile, check-in, or a quick conversation builds trust. Schools that focus on connection over correction, see fewer behavioral incidents and higher engagement. You don’t need to have all the answers. Simply showing up with empathy and consistency is extremely powerful. If you ever feel a student might be in distress, you’re not alone. Upper Dublin School District has numerous resources and professional staff to assist you with the process. Start by connecting to your school counselor, school psychiatrist, school safety officer, or school administrator. For immediate safety concerns, follow your district’s threat assessment or crisis response procedures. Document factual observations only, not interpretations or beliefs. Utilize available community resources such as behavioral health partners, mobile crisis teams, or student assistance programs. The key is to act, not to ignore. In closing, I would like to emphasis awareness is the first step towards action. Each of us plays a role in shaping a culture where students feel safe, seen, and supported. Behavioral health awareness isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being part of a caring team that notices, listens, and connects. On behalf of all the students and parents who did not express it but felt it in their hearts, I wanted to thank you for your work you do every day and for committing to the well-being of every student here at Upper Dublin.
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