Mental Health Awareness and Prevention
What is Mental Health Awareness and Prevention?
- Comprehensive mental health professional learning plan to build both educator and parent capacity
- Universal support initiatives on building Trauma Informed Classrooms
- Develop capacity building initiatives focused on Trauma Informed supports for district leadership and counseling staff
What does ESS provide?
- Mental Health Professional Learning Workshops for Districts and Parents
- Trauma-Attuned Model® (TAM®) Professional Learning and Coaching
- Trauma-Attuned Model® (TAM®) Certification Program
Professional Learning Workshops
Whole School Solutions
The Trauma-Attuned Model®: Creating Trauma-Attuned School
ESS’ Trauma-Attuned Model® is part of a “whole-school” approach to supporting students, by viewing behaviors and actions through a trauma-based lens. This 6-hour series takes professionals through a foundational understanding of what trauma is, how trauma manifests as behaviors in students, and what educators can do to foster student resiliency to trauma. The Trauma Attuned Model® is a relationship-based, evidence-centered model. The goal is to help adults strengthen their resiliency through awareness of trauma and its effects on overall health, development, and success. When adults strengthen and model their own resiliency, it will naturally strengthen the resiliency of the children in their care. It is a powerful way to become more attuned to the traumas of self and others and to promote healthy growth and achievement.
Introduction to the Trauma Attuned Model®
ESS’ Trauma Attuned Model® is a relationship-based, evidence-centered approach to supporting student development, fostering student and educator resiliency, and ultimately promoting healthy growth and academic achievement. In this introduction to TAM® workshop, educators are introduced to the four key components of the model: Prevalence, Affect, Response, and Triggers (or P.A.R.T. for short). A more comprehensive 6-hour version of the full Trauma Attuned Model® is also available.
The Nurtured Heart Approach®
The Power of Transformation: The Nurtured Heart Approach® is a social-emotional curriculum that builds relationships in which students are intrinsically motivated, both academically and pro-socially. NHA® was initially created to transform the most behaviorally challenged and oppositional kids, but it has been proven to have a profound impact on every child. NHA® supports educators in relating to children in ways that guide them to use their intensity in more constructive ways. As such, NHA® creates a classroom environment highly conducive to learning.
Nurtured Heart® Transforming Intense and Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom
This workshop is an introduction to Howard Glasser’s “Nurtured Heart Approach®,” a philosophy and technique that “focuses on energizing success and de-energizing failure.” Teachers will learn classroom techniques to help shape and support positive classroom behavior among students struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges.
Youth Mental Health First Aid®
A six-hour course that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives participants the skills needed to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.
Mental Health Essentials for Educators
This workshop helps teachers gain a better understanding of the emotional issues that could make a student appear “fragile,” aggressive, or withdrawn. They will also learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of emotional challenges, as well as specific techniques for engaging with students, leading to better performance in the classroom.
Depression: Maybe the Student Is Not Just Moody
The goal of this workshop is to help teachers support and work more effectively with students suffering from depression. Participants receive an overview of child and adolescent depression, learn how depression can impact school performance, and develop an understanding of treatment options.
Having Hope: Suicide Prevention for Schools
The good news is we can help prevent suicide: children and teens spend significant time in school, so teachers and others who interact with students daily are in a prime position to recognize the signs of suicide risk and make appropriate referrals. This workshop helps teachers build the skills and confidence to identify and assist vulnerable youth in seeking help.
Substance Abuse in Adolescents
This session presents information about substance abuse in adolescents for educators. Topics covered include the prevalence, risk factors and early warning signs of teen substance abuse. Participants will also learn options for responding to and referring a student with a suspected substance abuse problem.
The Language of Behaviors: Understanding Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom Setting
How do we evaluate what a child’s behavior is trying to communicate? Behavior is a form of communication which is especially important when a child has limited means of expressing themselves or has neither the developmental level or psychological capacities to “tell us” how they are doing and how we are doing with them. This workshop develops the ability to appreciate and understand the behavioral relevance and messaging of students.
Caring for the Professional Caregiver
This workshop assists professional caregivers (teachers, therapists, administrators, aides) in identifying signs and symptoms of caregiver stress, as well as teaching steps caregivers can take in order to preserve their own health and well-being.
School Climate and Classroom Management
This workshop offers approaches that teachers can use in the classroom to avoid getting involved in power struggles with students and triggering defiant or oppositional behaviors, promoting cooperation instead.
Helping Teachers Understand and Manage the Effects of Stress in the Classroom
When stress occurs frequently in the classroom, and particularly when it stems from the difficulties in educating students with emotional and/or behavioral challenges, it takes a toll on a teacher’s physical and emotional well-being. This workshop helps teachers identify, understand, and overcome classroom stress in order to increase professional satisfaction and work more effectively with challenging students.
Creating a Safe Learning Environment for all Students on the Sexual Spectrum
Stress, anxiety, and fear are all barriers to the human’s ability to input new knowledge, and thus to learn. This workshop assists educators and professionals in the development of a space in which LGBTQ+ students can feel safe.
Sensory Processing Disorders: Navigating an Overwhelming World
Sensory Processing Disorder describes a difference in the way that some people’s senses are processed by the brain. This workshop provides an in-depth understanding of the condition, including the symptoms and behaviors associated with it, diagnosis, prevalence, history, therapies, and interventions, and how an educator can provide support.
Supporting Students With Autism and other Neurologically Diverse Students
Creating a Trauma Informed Classroom for Students with Autism Having autism can sometimes mean enduring a litany of traumatic events, starting from a young age. This workshop teaches the underlying causes of trauma in students with autism, giving educators the knowledge to create a trauma-informed classroom that supports academic and emotional success for students with autism.
Beyond Autism: A Look into Dual Diagnosis Eighty-three percent of individuals with autism spectrum disorder carry one or more additional developmental, psychiatric, or neurologic diagnosis. These students struggle the most and are least receptive to traditional autism interventions. This workshop teaches educators how to utilize a person-centered approach in regard to the behavioral and emotional aspects of comorbid psychiatric disorders, as well as the importance of early detection and intervention of psychiatric disorders in students with autism.
Understanding Autism for Educators This workshop is primarily targeted for general education and universal arts educators. In this workshop, participants will explore what autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is, what it means to be neurologically diverse, and what students with ASD need from educators in order to be successful.
Supporting Stress and Mental Health in Students with Autism for Educators When attempting to plan for student needs in response to the continuous COVID-19 educational shifts, it is important to keep in mind the unique needs of students with autism. Participants will gain an understanding of how best to support students with autism, as well as tips that teachers can utilize to help reduce trauma and anxiety.
Mental Health Essentials for Parents and Caregivers
ESS’ Trauma-Attuned Model® is a relationship-based, evidence-centered approach to supporting student development, fostering student and caregiver resiliency, and ultimately promoting healthy growth and academic achievement. In this introduction to TAM® workshop, parents and caregivers are introduced to the four key components of the model: Prevalence, Affect, Response, and Triggers (or P.A.R.T. for short). A more comprehensive 6-hour version of the full Trauma-Attuned Model® is also available.
Nurtured Heart Approach®: Transforming Your Child
The Nurtured Heart Approach® is a relationship-focused methodology founded strategically in the 3 Stands™, which helps children and adults build their Inner Wealth™ and use their intensity in successful ways. It has become a powerful way of awakening the inherent greatness in all children while also facilitating parenting success. This workshop can be offered in a six-part series.
Caring for the Caregiver
Caring for a loved one can bring strain on even the most resilient people. This workshop assists caregivers in identifying signs and symptoms of caregiver stress, as well as teaching steps caregivers can take in order to preserve their own health and well-being.
Sensory Processing Disorders: Navigating Through an Overwhelming World
Sensory Processing Disorder describes a difference in the way that some people’s senses are processed by the brain. Our sensory system is our regulatory system, and therefore the first thing we should address when students are dysregulated. This workshop provides parents and caregivers with an in depth understanding of sensory processing disorders, including the symptoms and behaviors associated with it, diagnosis, prevalence, history, therapies, and interventions, and how you can provide support.
The Language of Behaviors: Understanding Challenging Behaviors
How do we evaluate what a child’s behavior is trying to communicate? Behavior is a form of communication which is especially important when a child has limited means of expressing themselves or has neither the developmental level or psychological capacities to “tell us” how they are doing and how we are doing with them. This workshop develops the ability to appreciate and understand the behavioral relevance and messaging of students.
Having Hope: Suicide Prevention for Parents
The good news is we can help prevent suicide: parents and caregivers are in a prime position to learn how to recognize the signs of suicide risk and go for help. This workshop helps parents and caregivers build the skills and confidence necessary to identify vulnerable youth and assist in seeking help.
Destigmatizing Mental Health
This workshop helps parents and caregivers have a better understanding of what mental health wellness means in a child: the signs and symptoms that can make a child appear “fragile”, or aggressive or withdrawn, as well as specific techniques for helping that child be more successful.
Depression: Maybe the Student Is Not Just Moody
The goal of this workshop is to help caregivers support and work more effectively with their child suffering from depression. Participants receive an overview of child and adolescent depression, learn how depression can impact school performance, and develop an understanding of treatment options.
Taking a Mental Health Pulse: Student Mental Health and Academic Re-Acclimation
As students return and reacclimate to school, it is important that the caregivers in their lives understand the unique COVID related mental health responses and challenges that we all will face. This workshop will assist caregivers in understanding these challenges and identifying students in need of additional supports. Participants will receive information on specific strategies they can engage that will help to support students (and themselves) throughout the re-acclimation process.
Navigating the Challenges Caregivers Face in Response to COVID-19
As students continue to be in a constant state of educational transition in response to the ever-changing safety needs of COVID-19, parents and caregivers are faced with the challenge of dealing with their child’s heightened states of fear and anxiety. In this presentation, participants will gain an awareness of the stressful impact of COVID on children, along with tips that parents/caregivers can use to help offset their child’s fears and anxiety in and out of the classroom.
Supporting Stress and Mental Health in Students with Autism for Parents and Caregivers
When attempting to support your child through the continuous COVID-19 educational shifts, it is important to keep in mind the unique needs of individuals with autism. Participants will gain an understanding of how best to support their child with autism, as well as tips that parents and caregivers can utilize to help reduce trauma and anxiety.
Supporting Stress, Excessive Worry, and Mental Health for Parents and Caregivers
This presentation focuses on ways parents and caregivers can support their children with stress, excessive worry, and mental health during the re-acclimation process. Participants will leave this presentation with strategies that they can utilize at home to help promote positive mental health and emotional growth.
Addressing Stress and Its Impact on Learning for Parents and Caregivers
This presentation will discuss the impact that stress has on student learning. New concepts that have emerged as a result of COVID, such as virtual learning anxiety and its effects on executive functioning are explored. Parents and caregivers are introduced to strategies that they can employ to provide children with the structure and support needed to reduce stress, enhance access to executive functioning skills, and improve academic achievement. Participants will leave with an understanding of how mental health impacts learning, as well as steps they can take to improve their child’s school performance.
How to Talk to Your Kids and Survive
Raising a child is probably the most gratifying job any of us will ever have — and one of the toughest. In large part, that’s because times have changed. We live in an increasingly complex world that challenges us every day with a wide range of disturbing issues that are difficult for children to understand and for adults to explain. Our kids are part of the iGen or GenZ generation. The generation born with smartphones and tablets. Let’s talk about how we can talk to our kids and survive.
Supporting Students: Mental Health Solutions for Re-entry & Beyond
As students return and reacclimate to school, it is important that the professionals in their lives understand the unique COVID related mental health responses and challenges that we all will face. This workshop will assist educators in understanding these challenges and identifying students in need of additional support. Participants will receive information on specific strategies they can engage that will help to support students (and themselves) throughout the re-acclimation process.
Navigating the Challenges Educators Face in Response to COVID-19
As students continue to be in a constant state of educational transition in response to the ever-changing safety needs of COVID-19, teachers are faced with the challenge of working with students with heightened states of fear and anxiety. In this presentation, participants will gain an awareness of the stressful impact of COVID on students, along with tips that teachers can use to help offset students’ fears and anxiety in the classroom (both virtual and in person).
Supporting Stress, Excessive Worry, and Mental Health for Educators
This presentation focuses on ways educators and other professionals can support student stress, excessive worry, and mental health during the re-acclimation process. Participants will leave this presentation with strategies that they can integrate into their work with students.
The Importance of Maintaining Safe and Well-Regulated Classrooms
The work of pioneering psychologist, Pat Ogden, Ph.D. establishes that learning occurs when students and teachers are all in “Optimal Arousal Zones.” This has never been more important than during the current COVID-19 world. This workshop will help teachers to recognize when they and their students are in one of three zones of arousal — Hyper, Optimal and Hypo — as well as strategies to better maintain optimal cognitive and emotional functioning.
Addressing Stress and Its Impact on Learning for Educators
This presentation will discuss the impact that stress has on student learning and engagement. New concepts that have emerged as a result of COVID such as virtual learning anxiety and its effects on executive functioning are explored. Educators are introduced to strategies that they can employ to provide students with the structure and support needed to reduce stress, enhance access to executive functioning skills, and improve academic achievement. Participants will leave with an understanding of how mental health impacts learning, as well as steps they can take to improve their student’s school performance.
The Implications of Social Isolation on Substance Use Rates Among Teens
During the coronavirus pandemic, adolescent substance abuse frequency for both alcohol and marijuana use increased. In this workshop participants will develop an understanding of the current state of adolescent substance use, prevalence and predictors for abuse, and strategies they can employ to help students manage during these difficult times.
Trauma-Attuned Model® Professional Learning and Coaching
Trauma-Attuned Model® Certification Program
ESS’ Trauma-Attuned Model® “Train the Trainer” Certification Program is designed to assist school districts in memorializing their capacity building by developing a pool of internal Content Champions who will then teach the material to other educators. The following TAM certifications are available:
• TAM® 6-hour Training = Certificate in TAM®
• TAM® Year-Long Coaching = Certification as Basic Practitioner
• TAM® Advanced Trainings = Certified TAM® Coach
