May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) are focused on the message “Together for Mental Health.” A growing number of individuals are experiencing mental health support needs, including our students with disabilities. All students should access mental health supports as part of a larger multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and, when necessary, students with disabilities receive additional, individualized supports through the IEP process.

Here are a few partner resources available to support students, families, and teams with accessing mental health supports:

• Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) – Youth Mental Health Communication Toolkit: No Shame in Your Brain
• OSPI webpage with Mental, Social, & Behavioral Health resources
• NAMI Mental Health Awareness Month resources
• UW SMART Center page
• Northwest MHTTC School Mental Health Website
• Promoting Social and Behavioral Success for Learning in Elementary Schools
• Autism Intervention Research Network on Behavioral Health
• Center on PBIS: Resources to Support Students Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellbeing & Mental Health
• US Department of Ed: Supporting Student Social Emotional Behavioral Health
• Classroom WISE (free mental health literacy online course and resources for educators)
• Job and Career Guide for People with Mental Illness