“School mental health will take center stage at a series of large national meetings in December as scholars, practitioners, and leaders meet to think anew about how schools should provide for the emotional wellbeing of their students. The 2025 Advancing School Mental Health Conference marks a milestone — 30 years of dedication to the sector, with attendance expected to include thousands of professionals.”
Increasing trends in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among young people have moved the topic of school mental health from the periphery to the foundation of what it means to succeed in school. Speakers describe the work that school mental health professionals must do in teams with families and communities, as well as with the students themselves.
Some of the strategies that were discussed include universal mental health education, wellness breaks, peer support groups, and procedures for connecting students with professionals when they struggle. Panelists give examples of how simple change, such as teachers being trained to recognize signs or counselors having set check-in times, can be the difference in schools when it relates to student mental health.
While speakers emphasize the importance of funding and preserving positions, they also address the concern regarding educator burnout. At the end of the series of conferences, most of the attendees pack home new tool kits and motivation aimed at making school mental health a reality in everyday lives and no longer a topic during one time training sessions at conferences.
Leave a Comment