Mental Health and Trauma Support

The DCJS Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS) is committed to the safety and well-being of all students in the Commonwealth. Information regarding available training, programs, and resources related to mental health and trauma support is provided here.

Training

VCSCS offers training on a variety of topics related to suicide prevention, mental health, and trauma for law enforcement officers working in schools and on campuses, in addition to school and campus security officers, K-12 and institutions of higher education administrators and staff, and other interested stakeholders. Visit the VCSCS Training Page to find trainings near you or host a session in your locality by completing the Training Request Form.

Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety Training Schedule

Mental Health and Trauma Support Training Available by Request:

Handle With Care and Impact of Trauma on Youth
Impact of Trauma
Dealing with Vicarious Trauma from Working with Impacted Youth
Suicide Prevention and Intervention
Prevention and Early Intervention for Substance Use in Teens and Young Adults
Working with Youth Experiencing Depression and Anxiety
Mental Health First Aid (Youth and Adult)
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

Training Request Form

DCJS Updates - subscribe to receive notification when new training opens for registration.

Programs

Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Grant

DCJS was awarded the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Grant in the amount of $1.83 million. This grant program is designed to improve school safety and security by providing students, teachers, and law enforcement partners with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to, and prevent potential acts of violence.

Through this funding, VCSCS will implement an innovative, 36-month project around VA C.A.R.E.S. in an effort to build Caring, Awareness, Recognition, Engagement, and Support in Virginia schools. VA C.A.R.E.S. will increase recognition of students at risk of self-harm or harm to others, and allow for increased interventions and supports provided through threat assessment teams. This project will include the following major initiatives:

Implementation of a statewide youth suicide prevention public service announcement (PSA) campaign in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Health.
Delivery of “Pathways of Prevention for School Violence” trainings for school personnel and local law enforcement.
Delivery of “Handle with Care” trainings for local law enforcement and school staff.
Development and production of virtual violence prevention training modules for school personnel and local law enforcement.

Handle with Care

The “Handle With Care” program enables law enforcement to notify schools if they encounter a child at a traumatic scene or incident. Schools and mental healthcare leaders can then provide trauma-sensitive support to the child immediately upon their return to school.

Handle With Care Virginia Website

Resources

Publications

Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Needs (U.S. Department of Education)

Suicide Prevention Resources

Suicide Prevention Guidelines for Virginia Public Schools

Supporting and Protecting the Rights of Students at Risk of Self-Harm in the Era of COVID-19 (U.S. Department of Education)

Suicide Prevention TV

Suicide Prevention - TV

Suicide Prevention - Snapchat

Suicide Prevention - YouTube

Suicide Prevention - Radio Spot

Traumatic Child Stress Resources

Aftermath Resources

Supporting School-aged Children (In the Aftermath of a Crisis)

Supporting a Grieving Student

The Importance of Self-Care

Websites

SchoolSafety.gov

SchoolSafety.gov is home to mental health resources and strategies schools, educators, and parents can use to help implement mental health support in their communities. Featured resources and tools include:

School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation System (SHAPE) (National Center for School Mental Health) – Use SHAPE – a free, web-based tool – to help you assess the quality of your school's mental health system.
National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules (Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network and National Center for School Mental Health) – Access guidance and modules to help your district advance comprehensive school mental health, as well as engage in a planning process around the implementation of services.
Responding to COVID-19 School Mental Health (MHTTC Network) – Find resources, events, and toolkits to help address the impact COVID-19 has had on the mental health of students, parents, teachers, and school personnel.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network – Explore tools and materials to help educators, school staff, and administrators understand and respond to the specific needs of traumatized children.
Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – Download this toolkit, developed for high schools and school districts, to design and implement strategies to prevent suicide and promote behavioral health.