All school staff play an important role in the early identification and support of emerging or escalating mental health concerns. 

Schools and systems that promote excellence in early identification and support

• Provide a supportive and culturally responsive environment for every student and encourage school staff to engage in ongoing self-reflection as they build supportive relationships with students. 
• Partner with staff, students, parents/caregivers and community to enhance overall mental health promotion and literacy (e.g., encourage wellness habits, bolster knowledge about mental health, provide social-emotional skill development, engage in stigma-reduction efforts). 
• Provide role-specific training and support in early identification and support to school staff who interact closely with students over time (e.g., chaplains, special education resource teachers, student support staff, graduation coaches, guidance teachers, athletic coaches, GSA (Genders & Sexualities Alliances) leaders, etc.) 
• Embed identity-affirming, culturally-responsive approaches within early identification and support practices, taking time to understand the perspectives, preferences and lived experiences of students. 
• Provide strong prevention and intervention services at school, with a core focus on brief, evidence-informed interventions that are time-limited and culturally responsive for the students served.  
• Work closely with community partners, in the spirit of Right time, right care, to address barriers to service and link students (and parents/caregivers when appropriate) to supports in the school, board or community when needed. 
• Understand the importance of a ‘circle of support’ to ensure that students feel connected and cared for while they seek, receive and transition to, through and from mental health care.  
• Bridge mental health promotion (Tier One) and prevention/early intervention (Tier Two) services. 

How school staff can promote early identification and support

• facilitating open discussions about mental health in a variety of contexts
• understanding that every student has a unique set of skills, abilities, experiences and knowledge from their families and communities that are invaluable to supporting their learning and well-being
• regularly engaging students in critical thinking regarding strategies that can support their mental health
• examining and addressing personal bias that may impact interpretations of a student’s expression of thoughts, feelings and actions
• fostering supportive relationships with students by actively listening, validating their feelings, reinforcing wellness strategies they find helpful and supporting them with decisions that may impact their mental health 
• understanding that changes in a student’s expression of thoughts, feelings or actions may be an indicator of an emerging mental health concern
• linking students (and parents/caregivers when appropriate) to other supports in the school, board or community when needed