The Covid-19 pandemic has created an ongoing struggle and concern for staff, students, and families. The overwhelming fear and anxiety that comes with this new disease needs be addressed.

Covid-19 has taken a toll on the mental health of both children and adults. Those who have a family history of addiction, anxiety, and depression, or have a personal history of violence, or those who have been personally affected by COVID-19 are more susceptible to mental health problems. Public health actions such as social distancing and quarantining can make people feel isolated and lonely which can increase stress and anxiety. While these actions are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, working with staff, students, and families to teach them to deal with stress in healthy ways will make our schools and communities stronger.

Kent ISD developed an internal and external mental wellness team to develop guidance in support of staff and student reentry that is in alignment to the MI Safe Schools Roadmap. The resources within this document promote the importance of social-emotional learning in every classroom, provides resources necessary to universally screen for mental health, supports staff wellness, and provides community resources.

We are encouraging school teams to review these resources in supporting the possible effects of COVID-19 on our staff, families, and students and to amplify the importance of social-emotional learning in our districts. For more information on supports and resources, please contact Kirsten Myers, Director of Special Education at Kent ISD.

Resources

• Mental and Social Emotional Health MI Safe Schools Roadmap Companion Guide 
• Mental Wellness and COVID-19

#MentalWellness #SocialEmotionalHealth #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd

This blog post was written by Kirsten Myers, Director or Special Education at Kent ISD and edited by Amanda Walma, Professional Development Coordinator and Sara Sefick, PD Hub Intern at Kent ISD.