{"id":19277,"date":"2021-01-20T15:41:25","date_gmt":"2021-01-20T15:41:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=19277"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:24:12","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:24:12","slug":"behavioral-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health","title":{"rendered":"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"behavioral<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The University of Washington Bothell and the nearby Renton School District<\/a> are completing development of a behavioral health<\/a> program to help K-12 teachers and staff recognize issues such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse among students. The goal of the program, which should launch in the first half of this year, is to aid students, manage discipline issues and head off school violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to create more behavioral health literacy and understanding \u2014 not so that teachers can diagnose but so that they can understand the behaviors they\u2019re seeing in the classroom, especially for kids who have repeat disciplinary actions that follow them all the way up the ladder into high school,\u201d said Sunita Iyer, assistant teaching professor who directs the program in the School of Nursing & Health Studies<\/a>. \u201cA lot of those [behaviors] have mental health origins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just for teachers, the program also is designed for paraeducators, school nurses, counselors or people in the library, food services or transportation, Iyer said. \u201cThat\u2019s where a lot of the behaviors arise, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coordinating work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Sunita
Sunita Iyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Iyer has been coordinating work on the program\u2019s curriculum with her Renton colleagues and an advisory board of mental health professionals. In all, Iyer said, 30 to 40 people are involved in creating four online and self-paced modules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The introductory module provides scientific knowledge so that school personnel can understand the behaviors they see in terms of what is happening chemically and neurologically for the child. The second module on the social dimensions of health looks at how things such as housing, sleep and nutrition impact stress, anxiety and depression. A third module on emotional needs discusses how childhood traumas, substance abuse and obsessive-compulsive or attention-deficit disorders impact school behavior. The final module raises systemic factors, such as local and state policies and leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UW Bothell began a parallel program for health care workers in autumn quarter in collaboration with the University of Alaska Anchorage and Providence Health & Services Alaska. The connection was made possible through Preston Simmons, a member of the UW Bothell Advisory Board and the chief operating and administrative officer of Providence Health & Services Alaska who previously worked with Providence Health & Services in Everett. The program in Anchorage is led by Hoa Appel, a lecturer in the School of Nursing & Health Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new K-12 pilot program with the Renton district was funded in 2019 with $400,000 from the Washington Legislature<\/a>. Initially set to launch in August 2020, it was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic and reconceived due to remote operations. They added isolation to whatever other problems students had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChildren have lost their social cues, their social norms \u2014 how they are supposed to be,\u201d said Iyer, who also is clinical director of Eastside Natural Medicine in Kenmore, Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New tools for teachers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Slide
Slide from presentation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic added a layer of anxiety they hadn\u2019t expected, said Victoria Blakeney, Renton School District\u2019s director of student support and its compliance officer on issues related to harassing, intimidating and bullying<\/a>. Blakeney said teachers already have a level of compassion and understanding, and they are adept at trying to help their students. \u201cThat\u2019s what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, even with the best intentions, teachers are busy, and schools have limited funding for students who are troubled or hostile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Educators would welcome a behavioral health tool, Blakeney said, especially one that helps them handle a situation without becoming frustrated or angry themselves. If the new program became part of teachers\u2019 professional development options, it also could count toward updating their license and accreditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blakeney said she values the close collaboration with UW Bothell faculty, their different perspectives and their desire to make an impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not just trying to get something off their plate. They want to put something in front of teachers and make a change,\u201d Blakeney said. \u201cThey\u2019re willing to ask, \u2018What\u2019s going to be useful? How do we make this relevant?\u2019 I\u2019ve appreciated that a lot about them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindset shift<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Iyer believes the pilot program means that, instead of just discipline, students who become disruptive will receive services they need. That, in turn, might also result in fewer absences and suspensions. Other beneficial effects include less teacher burnout and more social acceptance of people\u2019s need to get mental health help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope this is the springboard for a cultural and mindset shift that helps demystify conversations about mental-behavioral health with kids and people who work with kids,\u201d said Iyer, \u201cso that it\u2019s like a conversation about diabetes or blood pressure or anything else that affects our health.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The School of Nursing & Health Studies and the Renton School District are developing a program to help K-12 teachers and staff deal with student anxiety, depression and substance abuse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,218,249,252],"tags":[],"school":[420],"class_list":["post-19277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-campus-news","category-community-engagement","category-coronavirus","category-population-health","school-school-of-nhs"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"Contact Us","email":"test@uwb.edu","phone":"(206) 999-1234","box":"Box 358500","address_line_1":"18115 Campus Way NE","address_line_2":"Bothell, WA 98011-8246","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nDeveloping a K-12 behavioral health program - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program - News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The School of Nursing & Health Studies and the Renton School District are developing a program to help K-12 teachers and staff deal with student anxiety, depression and substance abuse.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-01-20T15:41:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-08T18:24:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-01-20T15:41:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-08T18:24:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health\"},\"wordCount\":774,\"articleSection\":[\"Campus News\",\"Community Engagement\",\"Coronavirus\",\"Population Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health\",\"name\":\"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program - News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-01-20T15:41:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-08T18:24:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/\",\"name\":\"News\",\"description\":\"Just another UW Bothell site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/author\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program - News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program - News","og_description":"The School of Nursing & Health Studies and the Renton School District are developing a program to help K-12 teachers and staff deal with student anxiety, depression and substance abuse.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health","og_site_name":"News","article_published_time":"2021-01-20T15:41:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-06-08T18:24:12+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program","datePublished":"2021-01-20T15:41:25+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-08T18:24:12+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health"},"wordCount":774,"articleSection":["Campus News","Community Engagement","Coronavirus","Population Health"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health","url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health","name":"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program - News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-01-20T15:41:25+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-08T18:24:12+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/01\/20\/behavioral-health#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Developing a K-12 behavioral health program"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/","name":"News","description":"Just another UW Bothell site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"","url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/author"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19277"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29394,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19277\/revisions\/29394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19277"},{"taxonomy":"school","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/school?post=19277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}