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Professional Development for School Staff


Recorded Sessions

Creating Culturally Responsive Mental Health Education for Immigrant Youth & Families

With the US becoming increasingly diverse, with 1/4 of youth being immigrants or children of immigrants, standard Eurocentric messaging in mental health education just isn’t relatable to many immigrant kids and their families. This training will provide an overview of the unique mental health experiences of immigrant youth & families (including immigration/acculturation stress, perpetual foreigner stereotype, race-based traumatic stress, cultural stigma surrounding mental health, etc.); and guide educators in framing mental health messaging from a culturally responsive lens. Strategies discussed will include framing from cultural language and values, leveraging cultural beliefs/practices supportive of mental health, facilitating intercultural/intergenerational communication, and partnerships for community-led role modeling & leadership. The speaker will share lessons learned from community-led mental health education in Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.


Maintaining Mental Health in Schools During Social Distancing: An MTSS Approach

Find three impressive panels of school personnel and subject matter experts to respond to questions about how schools can best maintain the mental health and wellness of students, families and staff during these challenging times.


View the Educator Panels: Reflecting, Rethinking and Responding to Support Student Mental Health

A change in school environment this fall to socially distanced in-person, remote, or a hybrid model for classroom instruction will pose challenges to educators and students, including having an impact on mental health. A proactive approach to supporting the social-emotional needs of students and mental health education is essential and can make school personnel and students more resilient. Hear from educators representing a wide range of community demographics as they reflect on their experiences and how they are planning to support the mental health of themselves and students this coming school year.


Promoting Resiliency in Schools

Learn more about the connection between resilience, mental health and learning; including strategies to promote resilience through social connectedness and social-emotional learning. When students are resilient, they are better able to manage risk factors for mental health challenges and perform better academically. How do we support the development of resilient youth?

Information and resources shared during the webinar:

  • Mental Health and Wellness Apps for Youth
  • Tools to Promote Mental Health and Wellness (including Mood Tracker)
  • Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset
  • Just Breath video from Wavecrest Films
  • Kristin Neff: Self-Compassion
  • Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators by Elena Aguilar and Accompanying Workbook: Onward: Daily Activities to Cultivate your Emotional Resilience and Thrive
  • Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions

Youth Cyberbullying: From Understanding to Prevention

This recorded session, developed for educators, families and caregivers, will provide an understanding of cyberbullying behaviors, including frequency and impact, as well as strategies and resources for prevention.


Schedule a Virtual or In-Person Training

Mental Health and Wellness 101

(60-90 min)

Mental Health and Wellness 101 provides participants with a basic knowledge of mental health, wellness and recovery in an effort to reduce stigma. The training presents mental health as a continuum of wellness and an integral part of our overall health, encourages treatment seeking behavior and self-care to manage stress. Mental Health and Wellness 101 is for everyone – parents and guardians, educators, school staff and administrators, and community partners.

Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid

The Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS) has partnered with the New York State Office of Mental Health to expand Mental Health First Aid in school communities across New York State. Learn more.

Suicide Safety for School Staff

(60-90 min)

This training is designed to meet the basic awareness needs of any and all school staff. Emphasisis on recognizing warning signs, clarifying the
referral process in place at school, and making a warm hand-off. Additional workshops are provided by the Suicide Prevention Center of NY, including
Creating Suicide Safety in Schools and Helping Students at Risk for Suicide.

Cultivating Educator Resiliency

(60-90 min)

School staff will have an opportunity to explore self-care and wellness from a strengths-based perspective, including understanding stressors, building resiliency and self-compassion, and managing change.

Technical Assistance for Schools: Mental Health Education

Resource staff are available to provide technical assistance to schools to assess current mental health curriculum and school/district strategies to support a culture and climate of wellness.


Request for Speaker/Presentation