Christine Y. Mason & Dana Asby 
Compassionate School Practices [PDF ebook] 
Fostering Children′s Mental Health and Well-Being

Online Resources
Foreword
Preface
Why Is This Book Important Now?
Who Should Read This Book?
What Will I Be Able to Do Once I Finish This Book?
Acronym Guide
Why Is This Book Important Outside of New England and the United States?
A Framework for Cultivating Well-Being in Schools
Key Principles
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Part 1: Needs and Approaches
Chapter 1. The Why? What? and How?
I. WHY Is a Focus on Children’s Mental Health and Well-Being So Critical Right Now?
Educators as Protective Factors
Why Are Teachers and Schools Not Better Prepared?
Risk Factors Influencing the Increase in Behavioral and Emotional Challenges
The Influence of Trauma on Mental Health
Equity Issues in Access to Mental Health Support and Advocacy
When a Crisis Strikes
II. WHAT Do We Need?
III. HOW Can We Approach Mental Health in Schools?
Partnerships for Building Student Mental Health and Well-Being
Implementation of Heart Centered Learning (HCL) in New England
The Power of Community-Based Approaches
Chapter 2. Best Practices for a Healthy School Climate and School Culture
How Can Schools Improve Children’s Well-Being?
A Model for School Cultures That Foster Mental Health
The Five Cs of Heart Centered Learning: Strategies to Take a Schoolwide Approach to Supporting Staff and Student Well-Being
The Five Cs
Using Heart Centered Learning to Build Compassionate School Communities in New England Through Visioning
Chapter 3. Tiered Systems and Mental Health Screening
Learning From History
ACES and Social Emotional Learning
The Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports
Universal Screening in Schools
How Are We Screening and Why?
Potential Issues in Screening
More on the Tiers of Systems of Supports
Following Up and Fostering a Support System
Chapter 4. Considerations for Staff Mental Health and Well-Being
Uncertainty and Isolation
Staff Stress and Trauma Are at an All-Time High
What Stressors Are Unique to Educators?
Teacher Attrition Is at an All-Time High
The Relationship Between Student Trauma and Teacher Stress
Understanding Current Needs and Concerns
Practical Solutions to Improve Educator Mental Health and Well-Being
A Schoolwide Approach to Foster Well-Being
Part 2: Leadership
Chapter 5. Adaptive Leadership Within the Childhood-Trauma Learning Collaborative
Resiliency and Finding Hope
Leading in a Time of Fear and Uncertainty
Action Informed by Assessment
The Importance of Professional Development
What Is Effective School Leadership?
Characteristics of Transformational School Leaders
School Leaders as Change Agents
Evolving Leadership: Being Inclusive and Visionary
Transactional School Leadership Management Practices
Balancing Transformational and Transactional Leadership
Adaptive Leadership
Chapter 6. Caring and Competent Leadership for Children’s Mental Health and Well-Being
Understanding Our Vulnerabilities: Leading With Care, Love, and Acceptance
Three Overlapping Lenses to Develop Positive School Leadership and Improve Children’s Well-Being
Caring School Leadership
Heart Centered Mindful School Leadership
Addressing Mental Health Concerns With the Compassionate School Mental Health Model
School Safety
Principals Set Policies and Protocols
Self-Care Exercises
Part 3: Child and Family Supports
Chapter 7. Belonging and Building Community
The Drive to Belong
Belonging: A Psychological Need
Finding that One Caring Adult
School and Agency Collaboration
Key Players
Wraparound Services
Strategies for Getting Started
Chapter 8. How Schools Can Help Families
A Sense of Urgency
Communication Is a Two-Way Street
Increasing Mental Health Literacy
Cultural Considerations
When a Mental Health Diagnosis Is Part of the Equation
Home School Collaboration
The Transmission of Trauma
Working to Heal Intergenerational Trauma by Cultivating Compassionate School Communities
Offering Parent Education to Foster Compassionate Parenting
Parent Teacher Associations: A Network Made to Partner With Schools
Reflections on Strengthening Mental Health and Well-Being: Leverage Parent Resources to Fulfill Needs, Wants, and Dreams
Part 4: The Future
Chapter 9. Reaching Our Destiny—Overcoming Challenges and Moving Forward
Our Encounter With Destiny
Time for Reflection Allows for Visioning
References
Index

Martha Staeheli, Ph.D., is a faculty member at the Program for Recovery and Community Health in the Yale School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and the Director of the School Mental Health Initiative for the New England Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Trained as a secondary English teacher, and with a Ph D in Public Health, she has extensive experience in population health and epidemiology; qualitative and mixed methods research design, analysis, and evaluation; and community and clinical intervention implementation. Her research interests are focused on recovery within substance use and mental health disorders, issues of health disparity and equity, and the health and wellness of under-resourced community, clinical and educational environments.