Coping Cards for Mental Wellness

Here is a set of coping cards for various mental wellness situations. You could print these on cardstock and share with students as the needs arise.  Or it could be an office resource for your use when working with students. 

Articles on the topic:

Using Coping Cards and Coping Statements to Improve Mental Health

Using Coping Cards 

ADAH Summary Sheet

Here is a brief summary of ADHD.  You may have something like this already but if not, it may be an option for your use. 

Legislative Update on Suicide Prevention

Report from The Capitol Group 
ISCA Lobbyist
Legislative Update March 26, 2018

Suicide Prevention Bill Heads to the Governor

• Great thanks to all the ISCA members who contacted lawmakers to encourage them to pass suicide awareness legislation. Your efforts have paid off!
• Senate File 2113, the ISCA-backed bill to increase suicide awareness education for school employees was approved by the Senate on a 49-0 vote following approval and amendment by the House.  It now awaits signature into law by Governor Reynolds.
• The bill requires the Board of Education to require schools to adopt protocols for suicide prevention and postvention and protocols for the identification of adverse childhood experiences to mitigate toxic stress response.
• The bill also requires school boards to require at least one hour annually of evidence-based training for employees who have regular contact with students.

Keystone AEA's new website: Resources to support mental health

Subscribe to @KeystoneAEA Mental Health Team's website for resources to support students. The site contains videos, tips, outreach contacts and more on the topics of anxiety, trauma, suicide, and executive functioning. http://aea1techintegratio.wixsite.com/mentalhealth
#iaedchat

Parent Learning Opportunity at Keystone Trauma Sensitive School Conference

Keystone is offering a parent component on Friday, April 13, 2018, at the Best Western in Dubuque, Iowa, as part of the Keystone Trauma Sensitive Schools Conference. Feel free to share this informational flyer with your parents.

Responding to a School Shooting

Once again our nation was rocked by a senseless and devastating school shooting resulting in loss of lives and continued loss of innocence.  These events can stir fear, anxiety, and anger in all of us.  As educators, we wonder what we would do in this situation.  We wonder why such things must shatter the safety our children, schools and communities. We wonder what we can or should do for our students and staffs in the aftermath of another school shooting.  Below are some resources to consider for your work.  

#ENOUGH a national school walk-out is planned for March 14, 2018 from 10:00-10:17 am; one minute for every life taken in the Parkland shooting.  Additional walk-outs are planned for March 24 and April 20. How will your school respond to this if students express interest or decide to participate? 

related article Students Seize Control of Gun Debate, Plan Walkouts and March

related article A "Mass Shooting Generation" Cries out for Change (grades 6-8, 9-12)
related article Can High School Students Make a Real Impact on the Problem of Gun Violence in the United States?

How to Respond to School Shootings (from the American School Counselor Association)
• Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limit exposure to television and the news.

• Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listen to kids’ fears and concerns.
• Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
• Parents and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.
• Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships.

Talking to Children About Violence: From the National Association of School Psychologists 

Talking with Kids About School Violence and Trauma: this article addresses how to talk to youth about school violence in developmentally appropriate ways

Resources for Talking and Teaching About the School Shooting in Florida: multiple resources for all ages embedded in this article

Continue to take care of yourself and each other! 

Anxiety Resources

Anxiety is on the rise among students as confirmed by anecdotal information and Iowa Youth Survey data. On the Iowa Youth Survey, students responded to the question: "About how often during the past 30 days did you feel nervous?"

From 2012-2016 Iowa Youth Survey Results, the percentage of students in Iowa responding to this question with "all of the time" or "some of the time" rose among students in grades 6-12 and across genders from 9% in 2012 to 13% in 2014 to 17% in 2016. Helping students recognize, understand and develop tools and strategies to manage anxiety is critical to student success.

Here are some resources to help you address student anxiety in various situations:

• Test Anxiety Strategies: Specific tools to help students approach testing with confidence
• Coping Strategies for Supporting Students: Multiple strategies to help calm students who are suffering from anxiety.
• Facing Fears: Step by step strategies to help students face their fears

Connection to ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success

Grade Level: 9-12

Mindset Standards:

     1. Belief in development of whole self

     2. Self-confidence inability to succeed

Behavior Standards- Learning Strategies:

     3. Use time-management, organizational and study skills

Behavior Standards- Self Management Skills:

     7. Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem

     8. Demonstrate the ability to balance school, home, and community activities

    10. Demonstrate the ability to manage transactions and ability to adapt to changing situations and              responsibilities.