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Board committee advances draft mental‑health and wellness policy, aims for vote next month
Summary
The Board’s policy committee on May 5 advanced a draft mental‑health and wellness policy that would require school‑level access to licensed mental‑health professionals, a district social‑emotional learning curriculum and a structured critical‑incident response.
The Board’s policy committee presented a comprehensive draft mental‑health and wellness policy May 5 that would set district expectations for school‑based mental‑health staff, social‑emotional instruction, employee wellness and crisis response.
Board member Mapp, who chaired the policy committee, summarized goal areas that include ensuring each school has access to licensed mental‑health staff and counselors, designating calming spaces and sensory supports in classrooms, adopting a district‑level social‑emotional learning curriculum after a pilot and creating a structured approach to critical‑incident response. The draft also calls for expanded access to employee assistance programs and regular data review of student and staff wellness outcomes.
Policy team members present included Assistant General Counsel Stephanie Scott, Positive School Culture Director Manisha House, lead school counselor (named in the meeting), lead school psychologist and lead school social worker; community partners from MindPeace were also consulted. Mapp said the policy’s language was intended to align with the district’s guardrails and strategic plan and to protect students while supporting staff.
Board members asked about cost implications and rollout timing. Superintendent Murphy and policy staff said much of the policy formalizes work already under way in the district and that the policy does not necessarily require immediate new hires; some functions may be supplied through existing co‑located partners or through telehealth and school‑based health centers. The committee asked administration to present pilot curriculum results at the upcoming Committee‑of‑the‑Whole/CAL meeting and to return the policy to the full board for a vote at the next business meeting.
Why this matters: The policy would set district expectations around supports for student mental health and the well‑being of employees and would help formalize the district’s response to traumatic incidents.
What’s next: The committee will incorporate feedback and present the pilot curriculum results at the CAL; the full board expects a vote on the policy at the May business meeting.
