Mental health school and educator toolkits available

The South Dakota Division of Behavioral Health, in collaboration with the South Dakota Department of Education (DOE), has developed a free toolkit for schools and educators to use with youth to promote resilience and normalize mental health conversations. The materials may be used with students to help them manage stress, communicate their needs, and encourage them to ask for help when they are struggling.

The toolkits are tailored to elementary, middle, and high school students and contain tools for school counselors, teachers, and other school administrators. Materials for parents and guardians are also available on the website.

Educators at South Dakota public, private, and tribal/BIE schools have the opportunity to order one toolkit for the age group they are teaching. Each kit includes age-appropriate content and resources to promote self-care, positivity, resilience, and other coping mechanisms that help students navigate their day-to-day lives. View the contents of each toolkit on the SD Behavioral Health School & Educator Toolkit website.

School counselors may take advantage of two materials for order, the Counselor Care Cards and Prompt Journals. Counselor Care Cards provide exercises, prompts, games, and other tips to spark meaningful conversations around mental wellbeing. The information may be used with students in classroom instruction, small groups, and individual work. The Prompt Journals are designed for middle school students to practice gratitude and resilience, helping to improve self-awareness, learning coping skills, achieving goals, and reducing stress. Each school counselor may order up to 35 counselor care cards, and each middle school counselor may order up to 35 journal prompts designed for middle school students.

Educators and school counselors may also take advantage of the free downloadable resources and mindfulness videos featured on the SD Behavioral Health School & Educator Toolkit website. The digital wallpapers, coloring sheets, posters, and more are ways to provide further student support at no cost.

View the materials and order on the SD Behavioral Health School & Educator Toolkit website. For questions, email DSS.BehavioralHealth@state.sd.us.