For many young people, the isolation, uncertainty, and trauma of the past few years have bred anxiety and depression, with potentially long-lasting effects on their success in school and beyond. Schools must respond to this need by providing thoughtful and effective mental health supports.
Thriving Minds is here to help. Through this initiative—a partnership between the Rennie Center, the Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium, and bryt—we offer learning opportunities and guidance in building comprehensive mental health systems that allow schools to support all students, now and in the future.
Our team has experience training and coaching teams on a wide range of core mental health concepts, from building an effective student support team to promoting trauma-sensitive classroom practices to utilizing evidence-based counseling practices and monitoring students’ progress. We are particularly focused on building a thoughtful, sustainable approach to providing mental health services—that is, how are schools using their existing staff, teams, and data systems to connect students with the support they need to succeed?
Thriving Minds has worked with districts and schools to provide on-site and virtual trainings, ongoing coaching for leadership teams, and in-depth needs assessment processes. Join our mailing list if you’d like to hear about future opportunities, or feel free to reach out to info@renniecenter.org if you’re interested in learning more about Thriving Minds and the services we offer.
Professional Learning Communities
Interested in learning more about using data or tier one systems to strengthen mental health within schools? Join Thriving Minds for our Professional Learning Communities this school year! In order to register, click on the PLC topic you are interested in:
- Using Data to Strengthen SEL and Mental Health Supports REGISTER
- Strengthening Tier 1: Classroom and Schoolwide Supports REGISTER
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Using Data to Strengthen SEL and Mental Health Supports PLC Data is a powerful tool for improving school mental health. This PLC will provide a deep dive into data-driven decision-making, exploring how to use data to assess fidelity, track outcomes, and improve services across all tiers of support. Sessions will focus on the use of data to support MTSS, using Tier 2 data to identify student needs and match interventions, planning for data discussions and the use of MH screeners as part of Tier 2 and 3 interventions. |
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Session 1: Data Use Overview and Framing 4/17/25, 1:30-2:45pm Thinking about how to use data to support your Multi-tiered Systems (MTSS) of Support for Social and Emotional Learning and Mental Health can be overwhelming. Schools and districts often collect more data than they use to inform tiered supports and understand how well they are supporting students. In this session, participants will learn and discuss how to get from collecting data to using it to support their MTSS, including what counts as MTSS data (hint: it’s more than you think), and what it can tell you about your MTSS. There will be opportunities to interact with and learn from peers from other districts. |
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Session 2: Using Data Sets to Assign Students to Interventions 5/1/25, 1:30-2:45pm Attendees will be supported in understanding the importance of collecting and reviewing data to inform placement into interventions that match students' needs. This session will explore ways in which staff can define Tier 2/3 interventions to provide clarity regarding what is available for students, referral procedures that are commonly used across staff, entrance and exit criteria for Tier II/III interventions, and methods for monitoring progress to inform decision making. Participants will leave with practical resources to support continued discussion with their teams. |
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Session 3: Data Discussions 5/8/25, 1:30-2:45pm Now that you’ve collected data, how do you discuss it with colleagues so that you can use it in ways to support your MTSS for SEL and MH? In this session, participants will consider the how-tos of data discussions, including how to prepare and organize data for discussions, how frequently to discuss data, who to include in the discussions, and how to structure the discussion time to inform decisions and action. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with and learn from educators in other districts. |
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Session 4: Mental Health Screening as a Data Tool 5/15/25, 1:30-2:45pm Universal mental health screenings help identify students who may need additional support before their difficulties become significant. This session will focus on the benefits of screening students, approaches to screening, and building capacity to implement universal behavioral health screening. It will also discuss the use of screening for tiered services and current research on the unique benefits for students at risk for internalizing problems. |
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Strengthening Tier 1: Classroom and Schoolwide Supports PLC School leaders and support staff often share that the area of greatest opportunity for improving SEL and mental health systems is at the Tier 1 level. However, it is not always easy to know how to strengthen Tier 1, recognizing that this work is not just a matter of content (helping front-line instructional staff know what to do), but also touches on belief systems as well as core logistical questions such as how to have enough time with classroom staff to engage in meaningful professional development and coaching in order to ensure fidelity that leads to lasting improvements in practice. This four session Professional Learning Community series will focus on all these elements associated with Tier 1. |
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Session 1: Overview of Opportunities and Challenges Associated with Tier 1 4/15/25, 7:30-8:45am Facilitators will offer a case for why SEL and mental health supports are so critical at Tier 1, modeling how to make this case to direct instructional staff (i.e., how to build buy-in). They will then share a brief overview of approaches to the work at Tier 1 (SEL curricula; integrating SEL into core instruction; trauma-informed classroom practice; teaching school-wide and classroom behavioral expectations). Finally, they will look at the logistical challenges associated with engaging teachers and other classroom staff in learning, reflection, and practice shifts that lead to implementing high-quality work with fidelity at Tier 1. Participants will have time for sharing strategies as well as questions, and for identifying their own next steps. |
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Session 2: Integrating SEL Strategies into Core Instruction 4/29/25, 7:30-8:45am Teachers and other educators build SEL competencies through their classroom practices, academic content, and daily interactions with students–often without realizing it! This session will provide guidance and concrete strategies to support the integration of social and emotional skills and mindsets into their daily practices. Through breakout discussions and whole-group share-outs, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own practices, share highlights and challenges, and learn about strategies in place in other schools and districts. |
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Session 3: Trauma-Informed Classroom Practice 5/6/25, 7:30-8:45am After a brief review of trauma and its impact on learning, facilitators will share the Trauma-informed Classroom Practice Guide originally developed for the Methuen Public Schools, and model how the Guide can be used to spark reflection and a commitment to improved practice on the part of classroom educators. Participants will have time for deeper dives and discussions of specific strategies as well as for questions and for identifying their own next steps. |
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Session 4: Integrating “Behavior” Systems, Wrap-up, and Action Planning 5/13/25, 7:30-8:45am Schoolwide and classroom systems for articulating behavioral expectations and engaging in positive interventions to reinforce those expectations are highly common. This session will explore the ways in which these systems can be aligned with, and mutually reinforce, other Tier 1 SEL and mental health practices. The session will conclude with an opportunity for participants to reflect, set overall direction, and action plan for their approach to supporting stronger Tier 1 work moving forward. |
MASMHC Virtual Summit
The MASMHC Leadership Team is hosting a special event in collaboration with our partners from Thriving Minds, the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy for Education Research & Policy and the bryt Program of The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health Center for Community Mental Health. Please join us on April 29 from 1:00-3:00 for the School Mental Health Technology Virtual Summit. This event will feature a variety of school mental health technology solutions from some of the leading SMH technology vendors in the field. Attendees will cycle to a new break out space of their choice every 20 minutes, which will provide autonomy to attendees to attend break out spaces that match with their interests and an opportunity to secure information from an array of presenters. Anyone interested in learning more about school mental health technology is welcome to attend this free event. Please see below for information on the vendors who will be attending and to register. We look forward to seeing you there!
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