Schools are uniquely positioned to support youth mental health
Suicide is the #1 cause of death among Colorado middle and high school students.
1 in 3 high school students report feeling sad or hopeless.
For LGBTQ+ students, this rate doubles.
Safe school environments and strong student-adult relationships can reduce suicide risk, but many schools are challenged by limited resources and confidence to provide appropriate support.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills
PCMH offers a live training series and on-demand training for teachers and paraprofessionals to learn skills from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a therapeutic approach focused on building skills around mindfulness, stress management, and healthy relationships.
DBT in Elementary Schools
Intended for elementary school teachers, we offer a quarterly six-session series that provides an overview of DBT theory and skills with a focus on skills application and incorporation into standard elementary curriculum.
DBT in High Schools
Intended for high school teachers, we offer a quarterly six-session training series that provides an overview of DBT theory and skills with a focus on skills application and incorporation into standard high school curriculum.
DBT ON-DEMAND
This course is a self-paced introductory overview of DBT. Particular recommendations are offered for facilitating learning in individual/group environments and within remote learning environments.
Mental Health Trainings for School Staff
PCMH offers a variety of opportunities for live online and on-demand trainings for school professionals.
Connecting with Youth
Research shows that youth who can identify one positive and stable relationship with adults experience better mental health outcomes than their counterparts. We offer this one-hour training on a monthly basis. Participants learn the skills needed to connect with youth and develop strong, positive relationships.
Managing Big Feelings
This training is designed for school health staff. Youth today report higher levels of stress than the average adult and identify anxiety and depression as a significant concern among their peers. This one-hour training, offered monthly, identifies common somatizations of distress and provides simple, practical skills to use with youth experiencing this distress.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth
A 2021 survey found that 50% of LGBTQ+ youth have felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, 62% because of their gender expression, and 74% because of their gender. However, research also shows that just one “trusted adult” can make a difference. We offer quarterly trainings to help school personnel create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in school and provide affirming and competent care.
Curriculum and Custom Trainings
We’re committed to helping Colorado schools and staff meet the mental health needs of students by offering trainings, workshops, and opportunities to engage.
Healthy Kids
Building Resilience for Healthy Kids is a school-based program that pairs sixth grade students with trained health coaches to help them develop resiliency skills. Funded by the Colorado Springs community, Healthy Kids aims to ensure all children can thrive, even when faced with tough challenges. The program reaches kids at age 11 to 12, an ideal time in their development for building resilience.
Unstuck and On Target
Unstuck provides ready-made small group lesson plans with companion parent materials in English and Spanish that build executive functions and help students regulate their thinking, feelings and behavior. It uses a strengths-based approach to improve social flexibility and readiness for learning, so it addresses academic needs and social-emotional learning standards. It creates calmer classrooms and better independent learners.
Custom Curriculum
We can provide customized trainings to meet the needs of school communities. For example, we offer families support and coaching on suicide prevention practices within the home. We also support training for educators looking to improve their ability to manage feelings of stress and burnout. If you want to arrange specific opportunities for your school or staff, please fill in our training request form.
School Mental Health Resources
Teens need support from school staff more than ever before. PCMH partnered with the Mental Health Youth Action Board to develop a video that would drive home that message in a powerful, memorable, and authentic way. After you’ve watched the video, please help us share it! Show it at your next staff meeting, post it to social media, include it in an upcoming newsletter. Make sure the school professionals you know see this important message. We also created a discussion guide to help school administrators and leaders discuss the video with staff after sharing it.
Download guide
Want More? Connect With Us!
We’re committed to meeting the needs of schools across Colorado. In addition to the offerings above, PCMH can provide a more comprehensive, tailored package to equip schools and staff to meet the mental health needs of students. This includes ongoing technical assistance, coaching and consulting. Please send us an email to learn more.
Get in touch