The Northeast & Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center invites schools and districts to participate during the 2022 Spring semester in a Community of Practice focused on the newly developed mental health literacy training package, Classroom WISE (Well-Being Information and Strategies for Educators).
About Classroom WISE
Educators and school personnel can play a vital role in promoting mental health and well-being and identifying and responding to mental health challenges in children and adolescents. However, they often do not receive the education, training, and/or ongoing support needed to respond adequately. To address this need, the MHTTC Network, in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH), has released a three-part package, including a free online course, high impact video series, and website with a resource collection, all focused on educator mental health literacy. Classroom WISE is informed by and co-developed with educators from across the nation. The package presents concrete, universal approaches to promoting student mental health and creating safe and supportive classroom environments, describes student behaviors that may indicate a mental health concern, and provides specific skills and strategies to engage and support students with mental health concerns. More information including course objectives and a 2-page overview can be found HERE.
Classroom WISE School Technical Assistance Opportunity
As part of the launch of Classroom WISE in our region, we are inviting 10 schools to participate in a Community of Practice in which schools will receive support for the implementation of Classroom WISE. Schools will appoint 1-2 personnel who will be trained to implement Classroom WISE and facilitate professional development to strengthen mental health literacy for staff.
Resources and Services Provided to Participating Schools
The following resources and services will be provided to participating schools:
- Access to school mental health experts
- Collaborative community of educators
- Facilitation guide
- Email templates for staff communication
- PowerPoint decks to lead professional development
- Pre-post teacher self-evaluations
Expected Responsibility
- Facilitate the adoption of Classroom Wise in the school (the MHTTC will provide guidance and resources).
- Provide school staff an opportunity to complete the online course modules during a 6-month window from January 2022 – June 2022.
- Facilitate in-school debriefings and discussion of course modules (a facilitator guide will be provided).
- Complete self-reflection surveys at baseline (January 2022) and at the end of the opportunity (June 2022).
- Participate in a one-hour orientation and three 90-minute community of practice meetings with MHTTC staff and other participating schools which will include facilitation training and co-learning.
Note: Classroom WISE materials and community of practice sessions will be in English only.
Schedule
Questions? Contact Alicia Lukachko, [email protected] with any questions related to the application for this opportunity.