Strategic Plan Goal Area 5 - Mental Health and Wellness Update

Strategic Plan Update
Goal Area 5: Mental Health & Wellness
February 9, 2026

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Implementation Chart - Goal Area 5




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5.1. Create safe and supportive environments that promote
positive mental health and wellness.
• Lithonia and Stephenson High Schools opened their SAFE centers in Fall 2025 giving
  the district a total of 8 centers.
• During the 2024–2025 school year, more than 13,000 students visited the six centers
   for support. As of December 2025, over 5,000 students have received services through
   the Centers, including therapy, mindfulness sessions, restorative circles, mediation, and
   other forms of assistance.
• 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.
• The Department of School Counseling received a grant from Kaiser Permanente
   Georgia to provide mindfulness and SEL tools for the DCSD Counseling Team of
   approximately 300 counselors as they support students in each Social & Emotional
   Learning (SEL) tenet: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, interpersonal
   skills, and responsible decision making.
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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).
• 49 staff members have been trained in Reaching Teens through Wellroot Family
   Services to discover effective strategies for supporting youth with trauma-informed care.



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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 66 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 THRIVE Wellness Office successfully completed its first Frontline course in Mental
     Health First Aid (MHFA) for Adults during the professional development day on
     November 4th, 2025, with 17 participants in attendance.
•    In November 2025, the District hired their first onsite EAP Specialist to provide
     confidential, no-cost support to help staff and their household members navigate
     personal, work, and family challenges that impact well-being and performance.




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Strategic Plan Goal Area 5 Outcomes




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Goal Area 5: Mental Health & Wellness Outcomes
   Currently, there are more than 700 staff members providing mental
      supports for the students in DeKalb County School District.




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Goal Area 5: Mental Health & Wellness Outcomes
                      Psychological Services
                          January 2026




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Goal Area 5: Mental Health & Wellness Outcomes
                        • Therapeutic services in schools are critical because
                          they address students’ social, emotional, and
                          behavioral needs early, reducing barriers to learning
                          and improving outcomes.

                        • Staff wellness lounges support mental health by giving
                          educators and school staff safe spaces to decompress,
                          recharge, and return to students more focused and
                          regulated.

                        • Alternatives to suspension, such as restorative and
                          therapeutic practices, address the root causes of
                          behavior while keeping students engaged in school.
                          Together, these supports foster safer, healthier school
                          environments where both students and staff can
                          succeed.



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Goal Area 5: Mental Health & Wellness Outcomes




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THANK YOU!

Strategic Goal Area 5: Mental Health & Wellness

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