Mental Health
Schools are required to adhere to the guidelines set forth in the Colorado Mental Health Practice Act. Attending to mental health needs for students leads to the best outcomes for all students and attending to mental health in specific areas like bullying, special education, threat and suicide assessment and referral systems, is the law.
Click on a topic below to see an expanded list of resources.
Contact
Betsy Jane Basch, Psy.D.
Mental Health Programs CoordinatorC: 303-532-7395
Mental Health Program Plan & Toolkit
Schools are required to submit Mental Health Program Plan assurances and are required to meet each of the required elements within the assurances.
- Mental Health Toolkit [docx]
- Sample Mental Health Records Policy [docx]
- Mental Health Recordkeeping Procedural Guidance [docx]
- MHPP Training: Referrals & Recordkeeping [slides] [webinar]
- MHPP Training: Social Emotional Learning [slides] [webinar]
- MHPP: Training: School Safety & Emergency Preparedness [slides] [webinar]
- MHPP Training: Screenings & School Climate [slides] [webinar]
- MHPP Training: Crisis Response [slides] [webinar]
- MHPP Training: Communications and Training [slides] [webinar]
- MHPP Training: Human Resources [slides] [webinar]
- School Mental Health Program [docx]
Restorative Practices
Implementing restorative practices in a school community can have significant impact in student response to discipline, attendance, bullying and the overall wellness of the school community. Successful implementation requires systemic buy-in.
- Restorative Practices in Schools Work … But They Can Work Better | National Education Association
- Restorative Justice in U.S. Schools: An Updated Research Review | West Ed’s Justice & Prevention Research Center
- Restorative Practices in Schools | NextGen Learning
- How to Implement Restorative Practices in Your School |Panorama Education
Wellness
The Wellness Toolbox offers a delivery framework and collections of content on specific topics, or themes, associated with social and emotional growth and development. Each topic module is structured with content and opportunities available for various school community members to participate and share in the learning (e.g., students, teachers, staff, student families, and the local community).
Hotlines, Therapy Finders, and Listservs
Hotlines
- Call 988 for help with any mental health crisis the same way you would use 911. View 988 Fact Sheet
- National Suicide Hotline
- I’m Alive Chat Line
- Your Life, Your Voice Helpline
- The Trevor Project Lifeline
- Teens Helping Teens Teenline
Therapy Finders
- SAMHSA Treatment Finder
- NAMI Support Group Finder
- NEDA Eating Disorder Support Group Finder
- NEDA Eating Disorder Treatment Finder
- Psychology Today Treatment/Provider Finder
- Good Therapy Provider Finder
- Find a Therapist Provider Finder
Therapist Finders that Report Accepting Medicaid
- Medicaid
- Find Medicaid Therapists and Psychologists in Aurora, CO – Psychology Today
- Denver Medicaid Therapists – Denver Mental Health Collective – 80224
- Counselors that Take Medicaid in Denver | CHC Blog
- West Side Behavioral Care
Cultural Considerations
- Languages of Care: provides translations of mental health, emotional wellness and other urgently needed documents to survivors of disasters, relief workers, and medical and mental health practitioners
- Child Mind Institute: Multilingual Trauma Resources
- Latinx/Hispanic Communities and Mental Health (Mental Health America) (Disponible en Español)
- Spanish language materials, including MHA Spanish-language screening tools.
- Native And Indigenous Communities And Mental Health (Mental Health America)
- Includes demographics/societal issues, cultural factors, and mental health resources for Native and Indigenous communities
Parent Resources
Wellness
- Ten Positive Behavior Support Strategies to Support Families at Home
- Asset Education At-Home Toolkit
Mental Health Training
- National Alliance on Mental Illness – Colorado Basics: free, 6-week education program for parents and family caregivers of children and teens whom are experiencing symptoms of a mental illness or whom have already been diagnosed.
- Parents Guide to Getting Good Care (The Child Mind Institute) (Disponible en Español)
Crisis Response
- Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers National Association of School Psychologists)
- How to Talk to Children About Difficult News (American Psychological Association)
- How to Talk About Racism and National Protests with Your Children (Children’s Hospital Colorado)
- College Students: Coping After Mass Shootings (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
- Coping After Mass Violence (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
Psychological First Aid
Webinars
- Early Childhood Mental Health [slides] [recording]
- Best Practices in Behavior & Support Plans Webinar [recording]
- Roles of Mental Health Professionals in MTSS [recording]
- Best Practices & Ethical Obligations of Transgender & Genderqueer Students [recording]
- CSI Threat and Suicide Assessment [recording]
- Mandatory Reporting [recording]
- Suicide Assessment [recording]
- Threat Assessment [recording]
- Self-Harm Discussion [recording]
- Working with Mental Health IEP Goals [pptx]
- Culturally Diverse Learners & Mental Health [slides] [recording]
- SEL for Every Educational Philosophy [slides] [recording]
- Gifted & Talented & Mental Health [slides] [recording
LGBTQ+
- Best Practices & Ethical Obligations of Transgender & Genderqueer Students Webinar
- Ethical Obligations for Transgender and Gender Queer Student
- Know Your Rights: A [Legal] Guide for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students (GLSEN)
- Model School Policy Statement for Genderqueer Students (Transequality)
- US Department of Education Policy Letter on Transgender Students-Fact Sheet (Transequality)
- The Trevor Project
- It Gets Better Project
- Iamclinic
- Inside Out Youth Programming
- PFLAG
- Colorado Name Change Project