Professional Development for School Staff

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.

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.

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.

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

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.