Desert Sands outlines expanded school-based mental health services and MTSS approach

At the Desert Sands Unified board meeting on May 20, 2025, district mental health manager Sue Ann Block and lead school nurse Susan Kettle outlined the district's mental health services, staffing and prevention-centered approach using a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS).

Block and Kettle presented district data and services: the district logged 2,734 requests for assistance (RFAs) for academic and social-emotional concerns and 275 suicide-related concerns during the year, with reported incidents spanning grades 1—2. "Half of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14," Block said, citing NAMI statistics during her overview of why schools must prioritize early intervention.

The district's school-based mental health team includes eight licensed mental health professionals and three mental health interns, with a mental health manager overseeing services. The district also maintains 12 credentialed school nurses and has assigned a mental health nurse to specialize in psychiatric stabilization, medication support and reentry planning after inpatient hospitalization. Staff languages include Spanish, French and Arabic.

Block described MTSS in practice: Tier 1 universal supports for all students, Tier 2 targeted small-group interventions, and Tier 3 individualized therapy and crisis response. She listed evidence-based practices employed by therapists and noted programs and initiatives including staff wellness events (bowling night, paint night, weekly "Words of Wellness" emails), trauma-informed professional development and two Child and Youth Behavioral Initiative grants awarded to strengthen trauma-informed training and elementary behavioral supports.

Board members praised the expansion of services and the visibility of the mental health team in schools. Trustees asked clarifying questions about reach and supports; staff said they would continue to expand wellness programming and training and to collect feedback via ThoughtExchange for staff wellness.

Why it matters: Trustees and staff said mental health underpins student learning; early identification and school-based supports reduce barriers to attendance and academic progress and are a district priority as students and families recover from pandemic-era challenges.

Next steps: District staff plan to continue implementing MTSS, deploy trauma-informed professional development funded by grants, and refine staff wellness programming based on a thought-exchange survey of employees.