3 Ways to Build a Solid Foundation at the Start of the School Year
Here we go! It’s time to set yourself up for a successful school year. And we know there is so much to consider as you welcome students, families, and staff back to campus for the year, so we wanted to share three of our top recommendations for how to start the year off right and make it the best one yet.
1. Host a Staff Professional Development Workshop for your Campus Introducing the Mental Health Program & Services on Your Campus
One of the best things you can do early on is educating your staff, teachers, students, and parents on what the mental health program is at your school, who you are, and how someone can reach you.
This can look like –
Leading an all-staff PD during staff development days before the start of the school year to educate your team on a specific topic like secondary trauma or trauma and the brain and most importantly, to introduce yourself and your services. (For inspiration, here is a modified PowerPoint of a presentation I gave when I was a school-based social worker.)
If a dedicated PD workshop is not available to you, you can host office hours on campus as everyone is setting up their classrooms so folks can stop by at their leisure, grab a treat, meet one another, and learn more about what you do. Relationships are so important and there is no better alliance than that of you and your school staff and teachers.
Host grade-level student assemblies at the beginning of the year to introduce your team to the students. By doing so, you let them know what you do and how they can contact you to get support throughout the year. You never know when someone is going to need you. Most students don’t seek support because they don’t know how and they are too scared to ask. Get in front of them early. Give them information. Be visible as much as possible. This helps build trust over time.
Set up a table at the beginning of the year at parent night so you can meet parents and have them sign consent forms for mental health services early on in the year so that if their child is needing support, there isn’t a delay in getting them services.
2. Identify a Clear Referral System
One of the most overwhelming things that I have experienced as a prior school Social Worker, and that I hear from fellow peers in the field, is the inundation that can happen with referrals for services throughout the year. You’re being stopped in the hallway, receiving text messages, emails, sticky notes, etc. about all the students that need support IMMEDIATELY!
It can be really challenging to ensure you’re meeting the needs of your community if you don’t have a system in place to catch all of these referrals. A ball will get dropped and it can be at the expense of a student.
If you’re already using SocialNote then you know that we offer an electronic referral process that allows anyone submitting referrals for MH services to submit them in one place electronically using one URL link. It is streamlined and reliable. You are able to see what referrals have come in at any minute and manage them all within the SocialNote platform.
If you’re not using SocialNote then it is incredibly important that you have a uniform way of ensuring referrals are being sent, that you’re getting the information you need, and that you have a process for following up on the referral.
This will help you prioritize your workload and ensure no student is forgotten!
3. Get In Front of Parents and Guardians Right Away!
It goes without saying that parents and guardians are without a doubt a key component of the student support system. In order to effectively support and create change within a child’s life, the work you do must be able to translate to their home life in some way. This requires clear lines of communication with caregivers, which ultimately builds trust.
Some of the ways I recommend you get started in building these relationships early on are:
Make calls to parents of the students that you are serving whether it be by last name, grade level, etc. Make it short and sweet. Share with them who you are, what you do, and how they can reach you.
Have the admin send out your contact information to all caregivers in their parent communication portal if that exists.
Conduct home visits if that is available to you.
Host a parent workshop.
Host office hours.
Send a note home with students to give to their parents.
Be visible at drop off and pick up and stand at the front of the school to greet parents.
Create a bulletin board highlighting the mental health team and services at the front of the school so that caregivers can see it when they arrive on campus.
At the end of it all, remember that you are doing the best you can with what you have. You are only one person and the needs are so great. It truly takes a community to get through this work together and I hope you find time to lean on yours throughout the process.
Wishing you a safe and joyful year ahead!