We know the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year is looking a lot different for many of us than in years past. Connection is so critical to many of these relationships with students and their families, so we put together a list of ideas to help you think creatively about how to connect with your clients while social distancing continues.

• Head out for front porch visits with air hugs and air waves.

• Send a recorded video pumping them up to start the week or end the week, etc.

• Mail a birthday card or note of encouragement.

• Offer virtual office hours where families can bring tea or coffee and ask questions, check in and get some facetime with you.

• Schedule a socially distant visit with a student/family at a local park or in their front yard with masks on and staying 6 feet apart.

• Drop off a craft packet at your students’ front porch and then host a craft virtual class or gathering to get kids engaged and doing something that fosters joy and relationship building.

• Drop off a care package.

• Create a virtual classroom on social media and do a Facebook live, etc.

• Relationships. Routines. Resilience. To foster relations via video, consider establishing routines early on, things like a regular check-in and check-out for each meeting go a long way for building resilience.

• Host a "Meet the SBMH" via Zoom.

• Consistency and Clarity. More than ever, it’s imperative to be consistent when so much is uncertain. Aim to be that consistent person in your students’ lives that they can rely on, and also, be abundantly clear about your role and what you expect from the student and their family.

• Schedule routine "Emotional Check-Ins" with students.

• Send positive parent emails regarding student progress.

• Offer mindfulness break sessions.

• Host a virtual book club for parents.

• Plan a Culture Share Zoom gathering: invite families to share a piece of their culture with you and vice versa. This helps build connection and trust.
  

Do you have others? Submit your ideas in the contact form below, and we’ll keep this list updated (and give you credit, of course!).