Strategic Plan Goal Area #5 Mental Health and Wellness

Strategic Plan Update
Goal Area 5: Mental Health & Wellness
May 12, 2025

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Implementation Chart - Goal Area 5
Goal Area 5: Mental Health                                                 Implementation Years
Performance Objectives                                             2024-    2025-   2026-   2027-   2028-
                                                                   2025     2026    2027    2028    2029

5.1: Create safe and supportive environments that promote            I       R       R       R       R
positive mental health and wellness.

5.2: Increase awareness of factors that can impact mental health     I       R       R       R       R
to foster well-managed learning environments.

5.3: Increase mental health support staff to improve classroom       I       R       R       R       R
behavior and peer relationships.

5.4: Expand staff participation in mental health professional        I       R       R       R       R
learning opportunities.




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5.1. Create safe and supportive environments that promote
positive mental health and wellness.
● The district has created Safe Spaces within 10 middle schools during the 2024-2025, which
  include: Bethune, Cedar Grove, Chapel Hill, International Center, Miller Grove, Stephenson, DeKalb
  Alternative School, DeKalb School of the Arts, Tucker, and Peachtree. Spaces are supervised by School
  Social Workers and Student Engagement Coaches and can be used by students to de-escalate, self-
  regulate, and have a mindful moment to return to a balanced state. Sensory items are being purchased
  for the rooms.
● Towers High School opened as the district's sixth SAFE Center in the Fall of 2024. During the 2024-2025
  school year, a total of 9,143 students have visited the six centers to receive support, ranging from
  mental health, social skills, and conflict resolution skills, to tangible needs including, food, clothes, and
  hygiene products. All centers are led by a certified social worker, equipped to work with
  students/families requiring mental health support.
● To support mental health accessibility, school psychologists have provided small group counseling
  sessions to promote coping skills and resiliency for 144 targeted students. Additionally, school
  psychologists have provided crisis counseling support for 1,244 students.


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5.2: Increase awareness of factors that can impact mental
health to foster well-managed learning environments.

● 9,215 staff members trained in signs, symptoms, and identification of mental illness and how to access
   assistance.

● 253 Staff members trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid (Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to
   teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, neighbors, health and human services
   workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental
   health or addictions challenge or is in crisis).

● 1137 staff members trained in Connections Matter (Connections Matter trainings strives to promote
   the building of more resilient, compassionate, and trauma-informed communities).




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5.3: Increase mental health support staff to improve classroom
behavior and peer relationships.
   • DCSD has an existing partnership with Unum, the provider of Employee Assistance Programming.
     Unum provides an opportunity for staff members to have three free visits with a licensed
     professional counselor.

   • The number of school social workers has expanded from 49 to 65 over the past two years. Social
     workers are trained mental health professionals.

   • Each Area Superintendent has hired a Mental Health Coordinator (7) to provide additional
     support to schools and students.

   • Mental health specialists (6) have been hired since 2024 to increase mental health support to
     students at the following schools: Salem, Stone Mountain Middle, Browns Mill, Panola Way, and
     Fairington.



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5.4: Expand staff participation in mental health professional
learning opportunities.
  • The Wellness Office has an ongoing partnership with the National Association for Mental
    Health (NAMI) which offers quarterly webinars on their Ending the Silence (ETS) on suicide
    initiatives for children through adults.

  • The Wellness Office shares extensive digital resources through ambassadors who spread
    mental health awareness information throughout their school and administrative buildings.

  • DeKalb Leadership Institute (Dr. Collins), Office of Professional Development (Dr. Leigh
    Turner), Transportation (Alex Riley) & Operations (in partnership with HR) have had formal
    training on holistic wellness to achieve harmony between personal well-being and
    professional well-being. This training promotes work life balance and offers the creation of
    a personal wellness plan guide to assist with recognizing triggers and creating action plans.

  • HR has proposed adding Wellness initiatives as a professional development day option.

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May 2025!

Goal Area 5: Mental Health and Wellness
Dr. Norman Sauce III and Dr. Kishia K. Towns
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