Supporting School Mental Health in the Wake of COVID-19: A Virtual Conference
The transition back to school this year will be unlike any before. The pandemic has been challenging for students and educators. We want to help you meet your students’ mental health needs, while also taking care of yourselves. We’re happy you’ve chosen to join us to learn more about these critical topics.
This conference is made available through the Northeast and Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) and the Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc. (MHANYS).
CEUs and CTLE Credit Information
For New York CTLE Credits: Fill out Section 1 of this certificate and email [email protected] with CTLE_August 19 and 20 in the subject line. Your attendance will be confirmed via Zoom attendance records. A completed certificate will be returned to you. Please allow time for certificates to be processed.
The sessions are not pre-approved for CEUs, except for CTLE hours. Certificates of attendance and all materials are available to you below, which allows you to submit for CEUs on your own.
If you participated in more than 50% of any of the sessions below, you have earned a certificate of attendance. Due to the high volume of participants, each certificate below is blank allowing you to insert your name, on your honor.
View Conference Flyer | View Conference Program | View Speaker Bios
Conference Agenda
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Session 1: 9:00 am - 10:00 am ET
Welcome and Mental Health: Through the Eyes of a Teenager
Ann Murphy, Ph.D., CPRP | Amy Molloy, MSW, M.Ed. | Caroline Shea
Directors of the Northeast and Caribbean MHTTC and the MHANYS will provide a brief welcome and orientation to the conference. Our keynote speaker will share her perspective as a 2020 high school graduate and the sister of a student living with a mental health condition. She has learned some tips and tricks that are more personal and less clinical, but are none the less very important to keep in mind as we focus on student mental health.
Webinar Recording | Presentation Slides | Certificate of Completion | Survey Link
Session 2: 10:15 am - 11:30 am ET
SEL Techniques and Tools for Adults and Students: The Foundation for Successful Learning, Remote, or In-Person
Liz Warner | Erica Brentan, M.Ed. | Patricia Heindel, Ph.D.
As educators' attention turns toward preparing for reopening schools in the fall, it is critical that the priority be on providing social-emotional and mental health supports for all staff, students, and families. The presenters will share tools and resources for increasing adult and student social-emotional competencies and for creating learning environments that promote a sense of belonging and safety.
* This session has been pre-approved by MHANYS for New York State CTLE credits
Webinar Recording | Presentation Slides | Handouts | Certificate of Completion | Survey Link
Additional Resource:
Session 3: Noon - 1:15 pm ET
When School Starts Back: Helping Students Cope with Crisis and Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic
David Schonfeld, MD, FAAP
This session provides practical advice on how to help students understand and cope with the current COVID-19 pandemic and how to support grieving students. Participants will be introduced to free online professional developmental materials from the Coalition to Support Grieving Students. Together, we will consider how to best support students during this evolving pandemic.
Webinar Recording | Presentation Slides | Certificate of Completion | Survey Link
Additional Resources:
- National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
- NCSCB COVID-19 Pandemic Resources
- Coalition to Support Grieving Students
Session 4: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm ET
Supporting Student Mental Health Through Uncertain Times
Amy Molloy, MSW. M.Ed. | Sue Wollner, MPA
Worry and stress about COVID-19 and social injustice are likely to have an impact on student mental health and learning as we return to school. Learn how a whole-school approach can support student wellness during uncertain times with a focus on resiliency and connectedness.
* This session has been pre-approved by MHANYS for New York State CTLE credits
Webinar Recording | Presentation Slides | Certificate of Completion | Survey Link
Additional Resources:
- Mental Health Association in New York State - School Mental Health Resource and Training Center
- American School Counselor Association - School Reentry Considerations: Supporting Student Social and Emotional Learning and Mental and Behavioral Health Amidst COVID-19
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Returning to School After an Emergency or Disaster: Tips to Help Your Students Cope
- Coalition for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning - Reunite, Renew and Thrive: SEL Roadmap for Reopening Schools
- National Institute of Mental Health - National Comorbidity Survey, Adolescent Supplement
- Pew Research Center - Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety and Depression as a Major Problem Among Their Peers
- Kaiser Family Foundation - Health Tracking Poll, July 2020
- Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America
- The Trevor Project - National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2020
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Session 1: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
The Power of Resilience-Based, Trauma-Sensitive, Strength Focused Communication in Working with Youth
Ken Ginsburg, MD, MS.Ed.
This talk will introduce the essentials of delivering strength-based, trauma-sensitive care and offer strategies to apply these principles. It will focus on the power of well-boundaried loving human connection in healing, restoring a positive sense of self, and giving control back to youth; and discuss the imperative of creating safe, secure, and sustained adult relationships for young people.
Webinar Recording (Part 1) | Webinar Recording (Part 2) | Webinar Recording (Part 3) | Presentation Slides | Handouts | Certificate of Completion | Survey Link
Session 2: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
A Mindfulness Approach to Educator Wellness: Developing Acceptance Skills and Strengthen Commitment to Act
Imad Zaheer, Ph.D.
Todd Whitaker said, "the best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. The hardest thing about being a teacher is that it matters every day." This is even more true today with COVID-19, racial unrest and uncertainty and fear as we go back into the new school year. This presentation will help provide mindfulness strategies based on Acceptance & Commitment Training (ACT) to help develop more flexibility in the face of stress and commit to taking action towards what matters to you.
* This session has been pre-approved by MHANYS for New York State CTLE credits
Webinar Recording | Presentation Slides | Handouts | ACT Matrix Activity | Certificate of Completion | Survey Link