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Stafford schools outline expanded anti-bullying and mental-health efforts, cite screenings and telehealth pilot
Summary
District officials presented a multi-tiered anti-bullying and mental-health plan including prevention, screening and crisis response. Staff reported 14 tip-line bullying reports this year, roughly 3,700 screenings with about 775 follow-ups, 315 full suicide risk assessments and a Hazel Health telehealth pilot with about 37 students enrolled.
District leaders outlined expanded anti-bullying and mental-health work and briefed the board on data from this school year.
Dr. Bush (presenter) opened the session and introduced Dr. Tanya Meline and Alexis White of the Department of Student Conduct. "We're gonna present about our anti bullying efforts this year, mental health, and how we've been supporting student wellness," Dr. Bush said.
Alexis White (Department of Student Conduct) summarized the district's application of the state code definition of bullying and the reporting and investigation process: administrators document allegations, perform a preliminary assessment against the state definition, notify families and the district office, and move to intervention or more formal disciplinary dispositions as appropriate. "Bullying does include cyberbullying per our state code, but does not include teasing, horseplay, arguments, or peer conflict," White said, describing how the office distinguishes relationship behaviors from bullying.
Dr. Tanya Meline (Director of Student Services) described the mental-health continuum of prevention, early identification, intervention, crisis response and postvention. She noted program rollouts and figures for the year: the district screened just over 3,700 students through the signs-of-suicide process and followed up with about 775 students for further evaluation; staff completed roughly 315 full suicide risk assessments; the co-responder unit (sheriff's office and RACSB) has responded to incidents on school property 27 times this year; flight teams have deployed 17 times; and Hazel Health telehealth enrollment has reached about 37 students since the March start of the pilot.
Meline also described program expansion plans: adding HOPE Squad peer-support teams at additional high schools, mandating youth mental-health first-aid certification for secondary leaders, widening DESSA social-emotional screening implementation in elementary schools, and a district landing page with mental-health resources for students and families.
During questions, board members and a student speaker pressed for consistency across grade levels, clearer documentation and accountability for staff reporting, and better publicity of services. A student representative recommended more grade-level assemblies and rearranging newsletters so key material appears earlier. Staff said they are implementing an "allegation tracker," training administrators, simplifying reporting processes and emphasizing family outreach so incidents get reported and followed up.
There are no substantive changes recommended to state code in this presentation; staff said the next step is implementation, continued data collection and public communication about the available resources and procedures.
