Did you know that half of all mental illness begins by age 14?

Capistrano Unified School District

MAY 2019 MTSS NEWSLETTER:

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

What is MTSS?

CUSD is making a commitment to increase the social-emotional, behavior, and academic support for all of our young people. We call this focused approach to organizing and providing support: “Multi-tiered System of Supports” or “MTSS.” Click HERE to access the new Parent Guide to MTSS for more information about our support system in the areas of social-emotional, behavior, and academics.

MTSS Focus for May: Mental Health Awareness Month

For the month of May, we are focusing on mental health awareness. When children and youth living with mental illness have access to effective services and supports, they can develop close relationships with family and friends, learn to cope with challenging symptoms and gain the educational and social experiences they need to succeed in life.

Family Resources: Mental Health Awareness

The following articles and resources are available for your family to learn more about mental health:

“Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental illness isn’t always easy. Each illness has its own symptoms, but there are common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents.”

Interested? Learn more in the following article: Know the Warning Signs

“Mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions, which cause distress and problems getting through the day.”

Interested? Learn more from the CDC website: Children’s Mental Health Disorders

“Suicide prevention starts with recognizing the warning signs and taking them seriously. If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, you might be afraid to bring up the subject. But talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life.”

Interested? Learn more in the following article: Suicide Prevention

“Having a child with a mental health condition can be a challenge, but there are ways to help make things easier.”

Interested? Learn more in the following article: Learning to Help Your Child and Your Family

Parenting Workshop for May: Youth Suicide Prevention & School Safety Community Forum

To support our families and provide parenting strategies to support their children’s social-emotional and behavioral needs, we are offering the following parent workshops during the month of May:

Youth Suicide Prevention

Thursday, May 2, 2019, from 6:30-7:30 pm at the District Office: Boardroom Presented by Orange County Department of Education, this workshop will cover suicide warnings signs and risk factors, strategies and skills on how to work with youth who may be thinking of suicide, and community resources. The workshop will be conducted in English with Spanish interpretation.

School Safety Community Forum

Tuesday, May 7, 2019, from 6-7:30 pm at the District Office: Boardroom

Presented by Orange County Department of Education, this forum will include discussions around the importance of prevention and early intervention, best practices for school safety, supporting children in times of crisis and ways we can work together as a community to prevent violence within the school setting.

Please click this link to RSVP:

https://ocde.k12oms.org/eventdetail.php?gid=1378&id=165813

Interested in More Resources? Visit the Online Family Resource Center!

To find more valuable resources and services related to our MTSS, visit the ONLINE CUSD Family Resource Center! To access MTSS information in the Family Resource Center, click here http://sped-capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/frc or find the “FRC Resource Tree” symbol on your school’s website and click on “Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS).