Mental Health and Crisis Response in Schools

Academic Course (University Credit)

The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued an advisory on mental health issues among youth, calling attention to this growing national crisis. Data from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has revealed a significant increase in the number of school-age youth who are experiencing moderate to severe anxiety and depression. Half of all lifetime cases of diagnosable mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75% of all lifetime cases of diagnosable mental illness begin by age 25, according to a study in the National Library of Medicine.

To better support the mental health of all students, the U.S. Surgeon General recommends that educators learn how to recognize signs of changes in mental and physical health among students, including trauma and behavior shifts; and that schools provide a support networks to meet student mental health needs.

This 3-unit Mental Health and Crisis Response in Schools course (COUN 605) provides an overview of common mental health or psychosocial/emotional issues and other disorders facing school-age children. School- and research-based prevention and intervention programs are examined, including the topics of trauma-sensitive schools and crisis response. School- and research-based prevention and intervention programs and crisis response are examined.

Please Note

As a prerequisite, Individuals should already possess at least one of the following credentials or licenses:

  • Teaching Credential
  • Administrative Credential
  • Pupil Personnel Services Credential
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
  • Credentialed teachers, administrators, and pupil personnel service (PPS) professionals or licensed clinicians, therapists, or counselors who want to gain expertise in student mental health and crisis response in schools.
  • Those who want to enhance their ability to collaborate with school- and community-based mental health providers
  • Education professionals who want to add valuable skills to advance further in their careers 
  • The 6-week course equals three units of instruction.
  • The course models synchronous and asynchronous learning by meeting in online classrooms at students’ convenience.
  • The course is approved by California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and can be transferred into the CSULB Masters/PPS School Counseling credential program.
  • Successfully complete 3 units of instruction
  • Common emotional and behavioral disorders of school-age youth and their effects on academic, social, and emotional development
  • Factors that affect pathways into mental health services for ethnic minority youth and students with disabilities
  • The roles and services provided by school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and community-based clinical providers within a Multi- Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
  • How to respond to student mental health needs during times of transition, separation, heightened stress, and critical change
  • Crisis response and intervention strategies that meet the needs of the individual, group, or school community—before, during, and after a crisis