The Chula Vista Elementary School District invested over $3.5 million in adopting a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Mental Health plan in an initiative to provide a safe, structured and nurturing environment for students in their development after 16 months of social isolation due to the pandemic.
According to the MTSS Director, Elizabeth Gianulis, children didn't have the social skills or experience they would normally have in school settings during this period.
A handful of part-time counselors were available pre-pandemic at a few schools who paid out of their own budget. As a part of the student mental health plan, a total of 28 on-site counselors/social workers are expected to work with students this year.
These counselors are able to provide intensive case management and trauma-informed counselling for students in foster care, those who are unsheltered, or those who do not have a stable home. Currently there are 84 students in the CVESD who are in foster care and 83 who are unsheltered.
Four trends seen in quarter 1 includes increased frequency and intensity of behavior issues, more students experiencing grief and loss, higher risks of anxiety and increased suicide risk assessments. Within the first quarter, a total of 627 students were serviced in either group or individual therapy, and 531 crisis interventions took place.
Full time counselors/social workers are now at the district’s top 10 at-risk sites, which holds the highest number of foster youth, free or reduced lunch and highest rates of English language learners. The remaining schools will practice a “sister school approach”, where social workers/counselors will share between school sites for 2.5 days.
This three-tiered system targets academics, behavior and emotional learning to support the whole child. The program began in November 2017 with the formation of a consultation subcommittee composed of district leaders and educators who received Social Emotional Learning (SEL) under Sanford Harmony.
Teachers continue to include SEL in their lesson plans to provide additional support for students and the family unit. According to Gianulis, focusing on trauma-informed practices for teachers to really perform, help and prepare for going back into hybrid instruction and incorporating mental health professionals was always a part of the plan.
In February of last year, a grant by Kaiser Permanente funded a mindfulness program called Inner Explorer which was launched at 17 schools. This program aims to help students decrease anxiety, stress and enable them to focus on learning.
The district plans on strengthening their partnerships with different programs offering emotional support, group grief counseling and psychiatric services to students in order to remove barriers of care to students.
Additionally, the district will take part in the Creating Opportunities in Preventing & Eliminating Suicide initiative in which the district will receive funding over the next four years to receive training for staff, students and families to reduce and even eliminate suicide.
“Although it is a challenging time, it is an exciting time to be able to have people on-site supporting student mental health,” Gianulis said.
