jay morris, director of elementary education, hamilton township school district

It’s also an online resource where parents can receive and sign documents related to a student’s suicide-risk assessment and even allows the district to make referrals for emergency medical and psychiatric evaluations in crisis situations. Importantly, the 12-point suicide-assessment protocol puts resources at the fingertips of counselors, social workers, and psychologists who provide recommendations for families seeking additional support for children. Under the new system, Hamilton Township conducted 329 risk assessments during the 2018-19 school year, a number that includes staff referrals to the district’s counseling department for student behavior and comments-or for troubling messages or pictures students wrote or typed in a notebook or search engine on a school computer. People don’t want to be labeled mentally ill or ‘crazy.’ ”īefore the 3,000-student pre-K-8 school system put its suicide-assessment protocol into place, the district had only a handful of children each year being referred by school nurses, psychologists, or counselors for mental-health support. , ” said Wellington, his words trailing off. “It’s something that’s difficult to talk about.

The focus on mental health and suicide remains a heavy, but necessary, load to bear. Wellington has also forged partnerships with mental-health professionals to foster understanding of how mental illness and adverse childhood experiences, such as poverty, stress or abuse, affect children. “We could not handle losing another child,” school board member Amy Hassa said. At least two former district students also died by suicide during that same period. Starting in August 2014, three students-a 10-year-old and two 12-year-olds-died by suicide in an 18-month span. Be a lifelong learner: As educators, we must remain informed and mindful of how world changes impact the developing minds of our kids, and what best practices are needed to support our students socially and emotionally as well as academically for them to survive and thrive.Be that caring adult: The human connection of caring opens the door to learning for all students and even more so for those students who have been closed off by adverse childhood experiences, chronic stress, and trauma.Surround yourself with wonderful people: When you hit the hurdles, roadblocks, and obstacles often associated with any worthwhile initiative, you will have that same group of wonderful people surrounding you for emotional support to keep pushing the effort forward.

Jay morris, director of elementary education, hamilton township school district