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Desert Sands outlines expanded mental‑health supports and DBT training, cites $150,000 donor
Summary
District mental‑health manager told the board the district expanded MTSS‑aligned mental‑health supports, offered family workshops funded by a $150,000 donation, trained 80 staff in DBT skills and emphasized cross‑departmental crisis response and staff wellness.
The Desert Sands Unified School District presented a districtwide update for Mental Health Awareness Month on May 19, describing tiered supports for students, family workshops financed by a $150,000 donation from Positivity, and training for staff to deliver dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skill instruction.
"Our approach reflects a community of care grounded in prevention, early intervention, and responsive support systems," mental health manager Sue Ann Block told the board. The presentation outlined Tier 1 universal supports, Tier 2 targeted small‑group interventions, and Tier 3 intensive individualized services including counseling, suicide risk assessments and safety planning.
District staff said they have expanded parent engagement offerings (programs such as Loving Solutions, Strengthening Families and Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills workshops) and reported 203 families have already participated in family workshops supported by a $150,000 donation. The district also said 80 staff members have been trained to deliver DBT skill instruction across elementary, middle and high school levels.
Security and emergency management staff emphasized collaboration between campus security and mental‑health teams to identify and respond to student concerns, including monitoring online reporting tools outside school hours and coordinating with school counselors for follow‑up.
Trustees praised the comprehensive, cross‑departmental effort and asked procedural questions about Panorama survey anonymity and how student responses are used to identify students who may need follow‑up.
Whats next: district staff said they will continue to scale family workshops, expand staff training, and use data to refine supports moving into the next school year.
