School Mental Health Program (SMHP)
Equip Every Adult in the Building to Recognize and Respond to Mental Health Needs.
REACH School Mental Health training gives teachers, counselors, psychologists, administrators, and other school support staff the scientifically proven tools to identify struggling students early and intervene before a challenge becomes a crisis.
WHO IT’S FOR
Designed for the School Staff Who See Children Every Day
SMHP is built for teachers, school psychologists, counselors, and administrators — the adults who are often the first to notice when a child is struggling. SMHP is organized through school systems and districts committed to equipping their staff with practical, evidence-based mental health skills for the classroom and beyond.
Schools are often where mental health challenges first become visible — and school staff are frequently the first adults in a position to act.
This training gives educators and school staff the evidence-based tools to identify students at risk, manage behavioral challenges, and support the mental health needs of the children in their care.
Training is customized for the unique needs of a school and covers any combination of three core areas:
1 Classroom management
Practical strategies to reduce behavioral problems and improve learning environments.
2Early Identification
Proven methods for spotting children at risk for behavioral and emotional difficulties before problems escalate.
3 Effective intervention
Cognitive behavioral strategies for use by school support staff with students presenting with anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviors, and trauma.
Schedule a Training
REACH offers customized school mental health training
for groups of 15 or more educators and school staff.
Visit our Group Training page to learn more about scheduling a training
for your school or district.
Schools Trained. Students Better Supported.
Hear from the educators, counselors, and school leaders who have brought REACH School Mental Health training to their buildings and seen the difference it makes for students.
“Some of the most valuable things in this course are the interventions provided and the discussions on how to implement each intervention. The REACH trainers also take the time to get to know the participants and the information is presented in an interactive way.”
— Behavior Specialist
Brunswick County Schools, NC
“I really appreciated that the presenters have had experience working in the school setting. It was really helpful to hear the presenters’ real life examples of students that they’ve worked with, and makes me feel more confident in the ability to use these strategies in my own work in schools.”
– School Social Worker
Pender County Schools, NC
“The guidance and education I have obtained on mental health issues during this course has truly empowered me. The Mental Health Toolkit will be a valuable resource and awesome to review it with the knowledgeable staff and other school nurses.”
– School Nurse
Virginia
School Mental Health Training Questions Answered
Everything school staff, administrators, and district leaders need to know about REACH’s School Mental Health Program.
The REACH School Mental Health Program (SMHP) is a science-backed training designed to equip school staff — teachers, counselors, psychologists, and administrators — with the tools to identify at-risk students early, manage behavioral challenges effectively, and connect students to evidence-based support. It is delivered to groups of 15 or more and can be organized by school systems and districts.
SMHP is built for any school staff member who works with children — including classroom teachers, school psychologists, counselors, and building administrators. The program is layered: some content applies to all school staff, while deeper clinical content is tailored for psychologists and counselors working directly with students.
SMHP covers three core areas: classroom management strategies that reduce behavioral problems and improve learning environments; proven tools for identifying children at risk for behavioral and emotional problems; and evidence-based therapy programs for school psychologists and counselors supporting students with anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviors, and trauma.
The Action Signs Toolkit is a unique REACH resource that helps teachers and school staff recognize warning signs in students who may be at risk for mental health challenges. It is practical, easy to use, and designed specifically for non-clinical school staff. The toolkit is available as a free download, with a license to use it in your school.
SMHP is delivered as a customized group training for schools and districts with 10 or more participants. REACH works with your institution to schedule and deliver the program in a format that fits your staff and calendar. Contact our Group Training team to discuss delivery options — including on-site and virtual formats.
SMHP is grounded in the same rigorous, evidence-based science that underlies REACH’s clinical training for healthcare clinicians — adapted specifically for the school environment. It equips both non-clinical staff and licensed mental health professionals in the same building, creating a shared language and a more coordinated, effective response to student mental health needs.
SMHP participants receive mental health screening tools designed for school settings, the Action Signs Toolkit, and supporting materials for both classroom application and clinical use. School psychologists and counselors also receive evidence-based therapy frameworks for use with students directly.
Visit REACH’s Group Training page to learn more about scheduling an SMHP for your school or district. SMHP is available for groups of 15 or more. Our team will work with you to identify the right training configuration, timeline, and delivery format for your institution.
Yes. Join the SMHP waitlist to be notified when new training opportunities become available. You can sign up directly on this page. If you’re looking to organize a group training for your school or district, contact our Group Training team directly to get started.
Still Have Questions?
Our team is ready to help — whether you’re a teacher, a counselor, or
a district leader looking to bring REACH training to your school.
Additional Resources
Download the Action Signs Toolkit — free, with a school use license.
Helping patients through divorce
“Parents who are going through a divorce really want to believe their children are OK,” said Lisa Blum, PsyD, a licensed clinical therapist on the faculty of The REACH Institute’s CATIE program. “They’re terrified that they’re hurting their kids. So if Sally is doing her homework and Johnny isn’t acting out, the parents think, ‘Whew, good, they’re fine!’ But often they’re not fine.” Though divorce rates in the US have been declining for years – including, according to early reports, during 2020 – the rates are still high. Each divorce or separation brings loss, disruption, and pain to any children involved.
New coding guidelines for 2021
2021 brings big changes to coding for mental health visits in pediatric primary care! The new coding guidelines issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reduce the documentation burden and increase the levels of payment (work relative value units or wRVUs).
10 ways to help families through the holidays
If you’re like most pediatric primary care providers (PCPs), you’ve seen an increase in child mental health issues due to COVID. Research shows that the pandemic, with its consequent disruption and isolation, has increased adolescents’ risk of trauma, depression, and anxiety. Families are dealing with grief, the anxiety of whatever “school” means this week or this month, and, in many cases, loss of income. Families of color and low-income families have been hardest hit by the pandemic itself, by the economic and social fallout, and by the attendant impairment of mental health. And now come the holidays.
Working with challenging families
You’re in the consultation room with Anita, who first brought her 15-year-old son Vic to you two weeks ago. Vic has been suspended from school several times for increasingly dangerous behavior. Anita uses a wheelchair because she has multiple sclerosis. Today she is distraught. Last night, she forbade Vic to leave the house, but he went anyway. He didn’t come home last night or go to school this morning. Anita has called everyone she can think of, but no one knows where he is. The police won’t help until he has been missing at least 24 hours. Anita has come to you as a last resort. When you saw Vic, you were troubled by his history of uncontrolled behavior and his uncooperative stance. You were hoping to get him to open up in a follow-up visit. But now Anita is here alone, frantic because she doesn’t know where Vic is. What do you do?
Promoting healthy grief
COVID-19 has changed the way children experience the death of a loved one. Although difficult under any circumstance, bereavement is even harder when mourners can’t gather. Barriers to comforting mourning rituals and supportive social communities can make it harder for children to grieve in healthy ways, while increasing the risk for maladaptive grief reactions.
Building family resilience
“Families provide a kind of protective membrane for children when crazy things are happening around them,” said William Saltzman, PhD. Dr. Saltzman is a faculty member of the REACH program Child/Adolescent Training in Evidence-Based Psychotherapies. “Families really have been on the front line throughout the pandemic,” Dr. Saltzman said. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride from the beginning, with abrupt school shutdowns; the exhaustion of becoming the 24/7 caregiver, teacher, playmate, and breadwinner; and now having to figure out largely on their own how to navigate the upcoming school year.”
How to talk with patients about racism
Once pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) recognize the importance of having conversations about race with their patients and families, the next question is how to begin.
Your patients need you to talk about race
“The first thing clinicians need to know about racism and discrimination is how important it is to talk about it.” Open, honest, and effective conversations about race and racism are crucial to young people’s mental health.
Helping patients deal with trauma
A medical appointment can be intimidating and scary for a child with a history of trauma. Still, this visit might be the first time a patient shares that they have been sexually or physically abused or that they are terrified to live with their fighting parents during COVID-19. Your role as a primary care provider (PCP) is critical. Your interactions with your patient need to feel safe. As constrained as your time is, you must make every minute count toward establishing a connection.
Alleviating coronavirus anxiety
We don’t have to tell you that virtually everyone feels anxious about the spread of COVID-19. An appropriate level of anxiety can be helpful if it inspires people to follow CDC recommendations on hygiene and social distancing. An unnecessary level of anxiety, however, can impair both mental and physical health. Many of your patients and families are suffering from unhealthy anxiety–whether they present with possible COVID-19 symptoms or come in for an unrelated complaint.
Find the Right Training for You
Browse evidence-based training for primary care clinicians, mental health clinicians, school support staff, and healthcare organizations across the U.S.
BROWSE COURSESBetter Mental Health Care Starts Here.
Get the latest research, training updates, and practical tools
delivered to your inbox. Join thousands of clinicians working to
improve pediatric mental health outcomes.
e-mail address
SIGN UPLATEST
LinkedIn Article 1
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique…
LinkedIn Article 1
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique…
LinkedIn Article 1
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique…
GET IN TOUCH
Name*
Name Surname
E-mail Addres*
name@mail.com
Organization
Your organization
Your Message*
Your message…