Mental Health - Social-Emotional Learning

A former educator and superintendent, Maridada previously served as president of BRIGHT New Leaders for Ohio Schools, a nonprofit, statewide public-private partnership funded by the Ohio General Assembly. He is a world-class educator who, over the course of a 25-year career, has raised academic achievement and created a brighter future for thousands of young people. Prior to joining BRIGHT, Maridada served as national director of education policy, practice and strategic initiatives for the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. Currently, he is the Jim and Susan Swartz Fellow in Christian Studies at the Harvard Divinity School at Harvard University.

Often, adults tell students what they need. Today, students will use their voices to describe how we can support them in the areas of mental health and social-emotional learning. Join McFarland, a former educator and principal and current Ohio School Boards Association deputy chief executive, to hear what students are asking of you to promote better student success and health in your school district and community.

The recently passed biennial budget includes $675 million in new funding for student wellness and success programs that will be distributed to districts across the state. Experts from the Ohio School Boards Association and the Ohio Department of Education will provide insight into this new funding and answer your questions.

The recently passed biennial budget includes $675 million in new funding for student wellness and success programs that will be distributed to districts across the state. Experts from the Ohio School Boards Association and the Ohio Department of Education will provide insight into this new funding and answer your questions.

Hear how Marion City’s social-emotional learning (SEL) district leadership team was created to lay the foundation for sustainable change in a district where students are economically disadvantaged and the majority are impacted by trauma. Learn how the team implemented an effective, trauma-informed approach in conjunction with SEL standards to allow for instruction to improve students’ self-regulation skills and reduce noninstructional barriers.

Emotional poverty has become a deterrent to academic success. Understanding the social-emotional needs of children of trauma in order to avoid using ineffective strategies and consequences is imperative to creating a thriving culture. This session will provide information on leadership, brain integration, empathy and nine personal and professional strategies for keeping wounded children engaged.

Review community and school resources for suicide prevention, integrated mental health care and the role of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in meeting the behavioral health needs of students in Ohio schools. Learn about the SOS Signs of Suicide program, PAX Good Behavior Game, intervention options and family resources available through the On Our Sleeves program.

Miami University shares an overview of programming that specifically targets mental health interventions at the K-12 level. Learn about universal screening, addressing mental health triage in schools and suicide prevention strategies.

This session includes a panel discussion about using social-emotional learning (SEL) to infuse the work of multiple departments and roles within one school district. District personnel whose roles focus on equity and inclusion, SEL curriculum, mental health services, student well-being, multitiered system of supports and professional development will share strategies for SEL implementation.

Discover tools and strategies for social-emotional learning. Learn how educational leaders can implement social-emotional learning programs.

Discover engaging social-emotional learning (SEL) lessons for K-four students that implement the Ohio Social-Emotional Learning Standards. Walk away with ideas for hands-on activities, games, visuals, mindfulness practices and children’s literature examples for each SEL competency.

The Specialized On-Site Support (SOS) Team shares its multidisciplinary approach for building professional capacity to address social-emotional learning. An administrative coach, board-certified behavior analyst, mental health specialist, instructional coach and an English learner specialist describe restorative practices, positive behavioral interventions and supports, trauma, cultural competency and more.

Learn how a partnership with Canine Companions for Independence transformed student services and dynamically impacted lives. Meet Darius, the district’s canine companion, and hear how a canine companion can support students’ mental health needs and enhance the work of school counselors and educators.

Emotional regulation impacts a student’s behavior, attendance and academics. When students are dysregulated, they cause disruption in the learning environment for themselves, classmates and teachers. Learn how the Stress Management And Resiliency Training (SMART) Lab integrates technology and social-emotional learning in a space designed for students to gain skills and return to the classroom ready to learn.

Engage in a reflective discussion about racial and historical trauma and compassion fatigue. Discover how to consider schools as spaces of trauma, for both students and the adults who serve them, and learn strategies for self-care to create safe school spaces.

Review the impact of culture in students’ academic achievement.

School nurses are key health care providers in schools. Hear how the school nursing practice involves caring for the whole child, including both physical and mental health needs, and supports students, staff, families and the school community in building resiliency.

How do we sustain great mental health initiatives? Discover how to build a tiered system of in-house support to keep evidence-based programs alive in multiple schools with minimal staff. Learn why in-house support is critical to keeping evidence-based practices alive and achieving the promised results.

Maumee City administrators and teachers engaged in a collaborative process to build a guaranteed and viable social-emotional learning course of study using gap analysis, survey instruments, user-friendly templates and high staff involvement. Discover how it was customized for each grade band — K-five, six-eight and nine-12 — to meet learners’ unique needs at each level.

Learn about the intensive Tier 3 behavioral support program taking place in the Northwest Local (Hamilton) School District. The program helps elementary students who have behavioral and emotional needs that require intensive support focusing on emotional regulation and coping, problem-solving and social skills while meeting each student’s educational needs.

This presentation dispels common myths about eating disorders; presents basic biological components of the disorder based on current brain research, including signs, symptoms and risks; and offers referral information geared toward the school-aged population.

Learn how to catch every child in your school using strategies that build safe and secure attachments. These attachments help students improve self-regulation, increase their resiliency, sharpen their focus and improve academic performance. Study the signs of at-risk students and how to teach behavior skills that have a lasting impact.

Discover strategies to help districts partner with educational entities to provide wraparound support for students.

Learn how to create, facilitate and grow a districtwide mentoring program for girls in middle and high schools. Review five years of proven results and growth from a program that began in three middle schools and continues to support those students through high school. The program connects students with their peers and female mentors from the local community while focusing its monthly meetings on self-esteem, goals, positive choices and thinking about the future.

This session will provide all the information needed to easily implement two student campaigns to decrease mental health stigma and improve connectedness and culture. Hear how #ThereForMe day and Everyone Has a Story outreach required little to no cost and generated significant positive feedback.

Discover how Bridges Learning Center, a public K-12 Akron City school, meets student needs by providing wraparound services focusing on mental health and the whole child. This teacher-led panel will highlight some key features of the center and provide intervention ideas that can be used in programs throughout Ohio.