Coordinated School Health

Cardiac emergencies and other physical injuries can occur at anytime on a school campus. The health and safety of students and school staff is strengthened when schools are prepared to respond to these types of events.

Please visit the OPI’s AED and First Aid in Schools website for more information and resources.

Alcohol and drug use can greatly impact the health and safety of students and school staff. Substance use can also affect the way a student engages in school.  

Please visit the OPI’s Alcohol and Drug Prevention website for more information and resources.

It is important that students, families, and school staff feel supported and emotionally secure in their schools and communities. Following a stressful or tragic event a school may need to take additional steps to meet the emotional and psychological needs of students and staff. To assist schools during these challenging times we have compiled these best-practice recommendations and resources schools may consider implementing.

• Resources for Supporting Students, Families, and School Staff After a Tragic Event: Harm or Loss of a Student

• Resources for Supporting Students, Families, and School Staff After a Tragic Event: School Violence 

 

Bullying can negatively impact many of the youth tenants of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model. Students who are bullied, students who bully, and students who witness bullying behaviors can experience negative health outcomes, feel less safe at school, have difficulty engaging at school, and feel less supported in school.    

Please visit the OPI’s Bully Prevention website for more information and resources.

Protecting children from all forms of abuse and neglect is of the upmost importance for supporting student health and safety. Children who are protected from abuse will be better able to engage in school and increase feelings of support.   

Please visit the OPI's Sex Trafficking and Sexual Abuse website for more information and resources. 

In partnership with the Montana Safe Schools Center, the OPI is pleased to offer this on-demand training on educator mental health and wellbeing to support Montana's school staff. 

The Secondary Trauma Self- Assessment and Secondary Trauma Agency Assessment can be used with this training video to provide school staff with information on secondary trauma and resilience, build the resilience skills of educators, and provide school districts with information and resources on creating a trauma-informed school climate to support educator wellness. 

Additional tools include:

• Secondary Traumatic Stress and Self-Care Packet- National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments 
• Creating a Staff Wellness Action Plan- National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety 
• Professional Quality of Life Scale 

 

Additional guidance and tools to support educator wellness:

• Strategies for Promoting Educator and Student Safety and Wellness During Online Learning- Office of Public Instruction  
• Self Care for Educators- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network 

Emergencies hit schools at the most inopportune times and can take many forms. From severe weather to responding to a behavioral health crisis, being prepared with a plan with protect student health and safety.  

Please visit the OPI’s Emergency Planning and Safety website for more information and resources.

Health enhancement strengthens the capacity of local school districts to plan, design, implement, and evaluate health and physical education. 

Please visit the OPI’s Health Enhancement website for more information and resources.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers provide opportunities for academic enrichment during out-of-school time  in a community learning center environment. Out-of-school programming can increase student engagement and foster feelings of support. Academic enrichment can contribute to readiness for success in college or further study and employment.

Please visit the OPI’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers website for more information and resources.

Ensuring every students feels he or she has a trusting relationship with at least one adult at school will contribute to feelings of safety and support in a school. Positive relationships will contribute to student engagement and has the potential to positively impact student health. 

Please visit the OPI’s Positive Relationship Building page for more information and resources.

The climate of a school will impact each of the tenants of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model. A positive school climate will contribute to feelings of safety and support in a school and foster student engagement. Student health will be affected by school climate and will also contribute to the climate of a school. All of these will impact the level of challenge schools can provide to students to prepare them for college or further study and employment. 

Please visit the OPI’s Positive School Climate Development website for more information and resources.

The School Health Profiles (Profiles) assists state and local education and health agencies in monitoring and assessing characteristics of school health education; physical education and physical activity; practices related to bullying and sexual harassment; school health improvement; and school health coordination. Data from Profiles can be used to improve school health programs.

Please visit the OPI’s School Health Profiles page for more information and resources.

Supporting the mental health of both students and school staff is vitally important to supporting the success and wellness of an entire school community. 

Please visit the OPI’s School Mental Health website for more information and resources.

Preventing violence within the school and at school-sponsored events is a critical to supporting feelings of safety in school and fostering student health. Schools that are free from violence are better able to foster student engagement and ensure students feel supported in school.  

Please visit the OPI’s School Violence Prevention website for more information and resources.

Recognizing and Responding to Concerning Student Behaviors: Everyone within a school and community plays a role in maintaining safety and supporting the wellbeing of students. This guide was developed to help recognize student behaviors which may indicate a cause for concern and how to respond to a student who may be in crisis. 

 

 

The Montana Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training Act was passed by the Montana Legislature in 2015.  The Act directs the Montana Office of Public Instruction to provide training and technical assistance to schools in Montana about youth suicide awareness and prevention training. 

Please visit the OPI’s Suicide Prevention website for more information and resources.

Student tobacco use will negatively affect student health and can negatively impact the feelings of safety and support in school and reduce student engagement.     

Please visit the OPI’s Tobacco Use Prevention website for more information and resources.

The Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) assists educators and health professionals in determining the prevalence of health-risk behaviors as self-reported by Montana youth. Schools can use YRBS data to better understand student behavior trends and develop strategies to foster student health and safety. 

Please visit the OPI’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey website for more information and resources.