District/Community/School Systems Resources:
ISF District Installation Guide: This guide is intended to support District/Community Leadership Teams to install structures/systems needed to support an Interconnected System Framework (ISF). The goal is for teams to examine the current system using installation activities and generate actions to move toward a more efficient and effective service delivery model at the building level.
ISF School Installation Guide: This guide is intended to support District/Community Leadership Teams to install structures/systems needed to support an Interconnected System Framework (ISF) at the school level. The goal is for teams to examine the current system using installation activities and generate actions to move toward a more efficient and effective service delivery model at the building level.
Installing an Interconnected Systems Framework at the School Level: This Practice Guide describes and illustrates how schools, with support from coaches and district/community leaders, can benefit from the integration of school mental health (SMH) supports within the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Framework.
Working Smarter/Not Harder Teaming Matrix: The purpose of this worksheet is to enable school and community partners to assess and enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and relevance of the committee and team organization of mental health supports for students.
ISF Initiative Inventory (Adapted from NIRN Initiative Inventory): The purpose of this tool is to (a) provide an overall picture of existing social-emotional-behavioral related initiatives or programs available to the larger community, (b) determine the effectiveness, relevance, and fidelity for each, (c) determine funding and resource allocation, and (d) determine areas of redundancy. This process is led by the District Community Leadership Team with representation from both education and community stakeholders.
School Level Intervention Mapping Tool: The purpose of this tool is to (a) provide an overall picture of existing social emotional behavioral related interventions or initiatives available to students in your building, (b) determine the effectiveness, relevance, and fidelity for each, (c) resource allocation, and (d) determine areas of redundancy. This process is led by the School Level Team with representation from both education and community stakeholders.
Request for Assistance: This document describes the nature and characteristics of a request for assistance process within an interconnected systems framework of MH and Education.
Here’s a sample Request for Assistance form.
Data Sources to Consider for an Integrated PBIS/Mental Health System
Changing Roles of Staff: District Level Discussion Guide: This document is intended to support facilitating critical discussions around role changes within an integrated framework. The goal is to move from discussion to action planning around systems change to better support the social/emotional/behavioral needs of all youth.
Changing Roles of Staff: School Level Discussion Guide This document is intended to support facilitating a critical discussion around role changes within an integrated framework. The goal is to move from discussion to action planning around systems change to better support the social/emotional/behavioral needs of all youth. This document is broken into three topic areas to help with organization. Each includes guiding questions, prompts to consider other stakeholder voices, and potential activities to complete.
Interconnected Systems Framework Initiative Inventory (ISF-II) The purpose of the assessment is to provide a valid and reliable measure of the extent to which education and school mental health partners are applying the core features of the interconnecting education and mental health.
Department of Mental Health Vermont Model School Protocol for Suicide Prevention. Recognizing that schools are facing overwhelming challenges (ie., conflicting priorities, time constraints, staffing shortages, insufficient funding, lack of strategic coordination and insufficient buy-in from administrators), this document outlines recommendations for addressing the barriers and identifies several model school components that are crucial to reducing suicide rates and ensuring student well-being.
The Vermont Mental Health Systems Toolkit. The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE), in partnership with the Vermont Department of Mental Health (DMH), has created this toolkit to support Local Education Agencies, schools, community advocates, and local leaders working together to assess, identify, prioritize, and fund school-based mental health services. This toolkit is a collection of resources for school/community leadership teams to enable them to learn about a problem of practice and identify approaches for addressing it.
SEL And Mental Health: Making Connections with VTmtss – This document is intended to be used by school systems that are reviewing and improving their system of social-emotional learning and mental health supports and will be most effective when used in conjunction with the VTmtss Systems Screener, the VTmtss Framework, and VTmtss Driver Diagram as an organizational tool for action planning.
Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders – This action guide was designed for school administrators in kindergarten through 12th grade schools (K-12), including principals and leaders of school-based student support teams, to identify evidence-based strategies, approaches, and practices that can positively influence students’ mental health.
An Employer Guide to Supporting Employee Mental Health. An employer toolkit provided by the United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Working Bridges Program and the Mental Health Initiative adapted from the Worklife Partnership Toolkit.
Talkspace – The Vermont Agency of Education is partnering with Talkspace to provide message-based therapy and self-guided resources to educators in Vermont. The Getting Started with Talkspace document provides information as well as answers to Frequently Asked Questions.