The Education Sector of the recently updated National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP, 2023) was developed to assist schools, early care and education centers, and colleges and universities to establish policies and provide programmatic opportunities to support all students in adopting physically active lifestyles. The 2023 Education Sector…

The California Department of Education's Project Cal-Well aims to promote awareness of student mental health and improve access to mental health services for youth, families, and school communities. This brief introduces a series of Project Cal-Well Legacy Briefs that highlight successes achieved by Project Cal-Well partners. WestEd developed the…

This overview highlights Del Norte Unified School District's (DNUSD) approach to enhancing student mental health services via Project Cal-Well. DNUSD is committed to fostering positive school environments and has expanded its Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Committee to further this goal. The district has launched various mental health…

This brief outlines how the Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE) supports the educational and mental health needs of 25 school districts in the county. SCOE partnered with three school districts--Hughson Unified, Patterson, and Turlock--to enhance their school-based mental health programs for approximately 22,000 students. The brief…

This brief details the significant strides made by the Paradise Unified School District (PUSD) in establishing robust school mental health systems to facilitate healing and recovery. PUSD, which serves the rural communities of Paradise, Magalia, and Stirling City--areas deeply affected by the 2018 Camp Fire--has launched several key initiatives…

With the continued push by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to build healthy K-12 campuses, it is important to find ways to prepare preservice physical education teachers to successfully contribute to these whole-school models. This article shares the first-hand experience of an…

Poor mental health in childhood and adolescence has a significant impact on both physical and mental health throughout life. However, growing evidence suggests that current levels of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) care are insufficient to meet the needs of many children and adolescents in the United States as evidenced by increasing…

This article is the second in a series addressing comprehensive suicide prevention programming in the school context. In this article, the authors discuss the importance of the student voice and the value of data collection in the development of this type of crisis prevention, intervention, and postvention. In the articles that follow this one,…

Mental health has a substantial effect on student academic performance. As the need for mental health resources in Texas significantly outpaces availability and access, schools are often the best location for students to connect with necessary mental health services and community support. The Texas Education Agency and its partners, including the…

Students' mental health and wellness is an indicator of educational engagement and academic success. Studies have shown that school-based behavioral health interventions result in improved educational outcomes. In addition, research shows that access to school-based health centers increases student participation in mental health services and may…

This handout expands upon and consolidates information from the 2021 "RESTART & RECOVERY: Leveraging Federal COVID Relief Funding & Medicaid to Support Student & Staff Wellbeing & Connection" resource. It includes guidance about how states can utilize federal relief funding to expand school Medicaid to support student…

School nurses help students with the prevention and management of chronic physical and mental health issues, but not all schools have a full-time registered nurse on their staff. The author argues that investing in school nursing has benefits that extend beyond the school and into the community.

Psychiatric disorders, particularly substance use disorders, are an impactful and highly prevalent public health concern in youth from low-income neighborhoods (YLINs). Indeed, prevention and intervention programs for mental health disorders that have evidenced improvements in youth from general population are not well integrated into community…

The Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI) is a large-scale, integrated research effort designed to increase the safety of schools nationwide. It was initiated in 2014 at the request of Congress. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) administers the CSSI as a research grant program. Through the CSSI, the NIJ funds research-focused…

The onset of most mental illness and substance dependency typically occurs during adolescence and early adulthood, which coincides with the very age when the majority of students are first encountering the pressures associated with postsecondary education. An effective and easy-to-navigate mental health-care system for postsecondary students helps…