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Lowell district outlines multi-tiered mental health plan, schedules April 10 community resource fair
Summary
District staff described a multi-tiered system of supports (tiers 1–3), screening and trauma-informed training, and announced an April 10 community resource fair at the high school with about 35 vendors; committee members pressed for wider outreach and consistency across schools.
District student-support leaders presented a report to the School Committee on March 5 summarizing progress toward a districtwide mental health strategy, including screening, tiered supports and staff training.
Dr. LeGrande described a multi-tiered system of support with tier 1 providing universal supports, tier 2 early interventions and tier 3 intensive services for students who have been hospitalized or need substantial supports. He said the district has increased mental-health screening and is training staff, social workers and partners to intervene earlier rather than responding after crises.
Staff described partnerships with regional providers and a community resource guide and announced a community resource fair at Lowell High School on April 10 with around 35 vendors and a speaker program to connect families with behavioral-health supports and summer or after-school programming. Committee members recommended an all-district mailing of prevention and intervention resources and asked staff to prioritize schools with higher concentrations of McKinney-Vento students for trauma-informed training.
Presenters said the district has piloted trauma-informed training at several schools and is expanding it; they emphasized integrating social-emotional learning with academics rather than teaching it only as a stand-alone program. Committee members asked for follow-up on training coverage, ongoing refreshers for incoming staff and metrics for tracking program impact.
