MENTAL HEALTH By Maura Yellen-Biekert, NCSP, School Psychologist, Providence Hall At Providence Hall, we are committed to utilizing prevention strategies and interventions to support our students' growing minds throughout their K–12 journey. Through collaboration and research, we have put into place innovative and successful supports to address our students’ mental health needs. Overstimulated. Overtired. Overwhelmed. Big feelings and sometimes even bigger behaviors are experienced by students, especially in elementary school. Without the vocabulary or skills to express triggers or frustrations, oftentimes students shut down, tantrum, or express avoidance behaviors. These behaviors limit academic engagement, distract peers, and often lead to lower self-esteem. Through collaboration, our staff designed a sensoryfriendly space to support students' needs. This dimly lit magical space, filled with soothing sounds and sensory enriching tools, we call Patriot Park and is staffed by an interdisciplinary team of counselors and administrators. They are hard at work collecting data including student self-report ratings upon entering and exiting the space, measuring the frequency of student visits, and reporting strategies utilized. This data is used to enhance tier-one coaching in the classroom and to guide our intervention teams. Navigating the social world, both digitally and in real life, can present challenges. With the influence of social media and communication through technology (texting, group chats) students get mixed messages and struggle with interpersonal relationships. The lines between reality and the digital world get blurred. The distinction between virtual behavior and in-person social norms is not always apparent to developing brains. At the junior high, to help facilitate healthy social relationships, there is a “no cell phones” policy during class time. We expect students to be present and mindfully aware of their surroundings while learning, whether they are participating in an engaging debate in a core class or working on a hands-on project in an elective class like Stop Motion Animation. With an uptick in social challenges related to the ever-growing digital world, the team at the junior 18
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