Wake County schools detail annual school-based mental health plan, report incremental SEL gains

Wake County Public Schools staff presented the district’s annual school-based mental health plan at the September board meeting and reported incremental progress on social-emotional learning measures while outlining ongoing implementation steps and remaining gaps.

The presentation, led by “Mister Pesch,” outlined components the district submitted to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), including early intervention, screening and referral, suicide-risk protocols and stakeholder engagement. “This is our fifth time that we've come to you to talk about the school mental health plan that began after its passage in school law in 2020,” Mister Pesch said.

Board members and staff framed the plan as part of the district strategic priority on student dispositions and well‑being and described measurable outputs and the partnerships that support services in schools.

District staff said they submitted the district’s Healthy Active Children report to NCDPI in September and that the plan will require a board approval when a five‑year revision is prepared. The presentation highlighted several preventive and early‑intervention programs: Second Step classroom lessons, check‑in/check‑out tier‑2/3 behavior supports, Teen Mental Health First Aid piloted in an alternative school, and a required youth mental health training for counseling and student support staff.

Staff described the Say Something anonymous reporting system (mandated by state statute for middle and high schools) and the district’s start of training and student‑facing videos required by the Protecting Our Students Act (signed October 2023). “The Say Something anonymous reporting system was implemented to middle and high schools last school year,” the presenter said, noting the application allows phone, text or online tips and that NCDPI-funded programs are available to districts.

Partnerships and teletherapy vendors were described as central to scaling services. Staff listed 10 vendor partners, including local agencies and national teletherapy providers Daybreak Health Services and Hazel Health; they said vendor coverage expanded from about 125 to 130 schools while the presentation was being prepared and is increasing weekly as vendor staffing capacity grows. Staff said teletherapy helps reach students evenings and weekends and can extend service access where in‑person therapists are not yet available.

District staff provided outcome and output measures the district is tracking. Staff recited district goals and interim results on the five SEL competencies that NCDPI now requests. The district’s stated goal is that by 2028, 90% of students will demonstrate SEL competencies; staff said districtwide year‑over‑year gains on individual competencies ranged from about 1 to 6 percentage points, with middle schools showing several of the larger gains.

Staff also presented counts of direct contacts and assessments for counseling and student support personnel: school counselors reported about 164,000 individual student contacts, nearly 2,000 small‑group contacts and roughly 26,000 classroom contacts for the previous school year; school psychologists reported about 3,300 individual student contacts; and school social work reported approximately 139,000 student contacts. The district reported 3,356 suicide assessments, 1,751 threat assessments and 377 Alliance Healthcare coordination referrals in the reported period. Staff also said more than 700 specialized instructional support personnel have been trained on an enhanced suicide‑assessment and intervention protocol.

Board members asked about expansion of Teen Mental Health First Aid and youth mental health first aid for adults; staff said they are onboarding at least two more alternative schools this year with plans to expand by invitation from principals and with support from UNC’s Behavioral Health Springboard. Board members also asked about a lost mental‑health grant; staff said the district had prepared to hire about 20 in‑person therapists under that grant but the award was not received, which reduced staffing and some central‑office positions the district had planned to fund.

Board members asked how parents and students are included in planning. Staff described a student youth mental health advisory group (one representative per high school previously; the district plans to request two per high school next cycle) and parent representation on the mental health services collaborative and school‑based mental health committees. Staff said NAMI Wake County is under contract to present parent education at school events.

The presentation emphasized the district’s emphasis on data use to identify needs, allocate staff days and disaggregate outcomes by demographics to promote equity. Staff noted that current universal screening (VIMAS) is in a teacher‑report phase districtwide, with plans to add parent and student components over time to strengthen the three‑pronged screening approach.

Board members asked about access, notification and the district’s strategy to increase in‑person therapists; staff said teletherapy is helping expand coverage but also stressed the ongoing need for in‑person therapists in elementary settings for play‑based therapies and other modalities.

The presentation closed with board members noting the work’s urgency given suicide risk among youth; one board member quoted district presenters on the local stakes and encouraged continued attention to staff supports and funding.

For follow‑up, staff said the board will be asked to approve the five‑year plan revision when it is ready and that they will continue reporting progress on SEL measures and service coverage as vendor and staffing situations evolve.