How to Engage Families in School Based Mental Health Treatment

A number of factors can affect mental well-being in schoolchildren and teenage students, and the chances of combating these before they cause serious problems can be greatly increased if the families of the students, as well as the school staff, are involved and know what to watch out for. According to Teacher Net, the risk factors that may cause a student's mental illness break down into three categories: risk factors in the child (communication difficulties and learning difficulties); risk factors in the family (dysfunctional behavior in the family or family breakdown); and risk factors in the community (social disadvantage such as homelessness). In order for the school to provide the best support to the student's mental health, a healthy relationship with the child's family is vital.

Instructions

• 1

  Organize at least one "mental health awareness day" per term and invite the students' key family members or guardians. Ask speakers from mental health support organizations to discuss the main mental illnesses that affect children and teenagers of school age, and how to recognize the signs. Schedule the day into workshops and reflective discussions involving small groups of two or three sets of parents. Working in this way will enable families to learn from mental health professionals, and also from each other, within the school setting, where they can speak to the school staff about issues that come up

• 2

  Include mental health awareness worksheets into the students' homework at least once per week, and inform their parents or guardians that they will need to sit down and complete this work with their child. These worksheets may take the form of mood maps, lists of things that make the student feel anxious, reflection on the most important relationships in the students' life, or lists of strengths and weaknesses. The worksheets can also include lists of things that help the students to feel safe and supported. Doing this once a week will involve the key family members in how their children feel on a day-to-day basis.

• 3

  Liaise with local and national mental health organizations to provide therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy, counseling, and family therapy in the school. If problems with a student's mental well-being become apparent, the student should be referred sooner rather than later. The school staff should communicate regularly with the student's key family members, who should be strongly encouraged to take part in some of the therapy sessions with their child. (A good portion of the therapy sessions should be private, however, to give the student a chance to express herself fully.)

• 4

  Encourage parents and other key family members to set up their own mental health awareness groups, by putting them in touch with local professionals who would be happy to come along to give talks and run workshops. Organize some "Mental Health for Parents" workshops in the school to show them how beneficial these groups can be, then encourage them to continue these meetings independently of the school's involvement. If adults are being encouraged to engage with their own mental health, they are more likely to be aware of how things are going with their child.