The Schools We Need Now

Dr. Timothy Dohrer has been a classroom teacher, administrator, and consultant for over 30 years in K12 schools and higher education. He was a teacher and Principal at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, a school of 4,000 students and staff. He has also served as a Director and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University, and an adjunct instructor at Pennsylvania State University and Northeastern Illinois University. Tim continues to serve on a variety of boards and regularly consults with schools in and around Chicago and Illinois. Tim′s major areas of research include social & emotional learning, school climate, curriculum theory, teacher education, and leadership. He has B.A.′s in English and Journalism from Indiana University, an M.A. in English from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Pennsylvania State University.  Dr. Thomas Golebiewski is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He has worked in schools for 40 years, including 26 years as Department Chair of Social Work at New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL. Tom has served as an adjunct professor at University of Chicago′s School of Social Service Administration, Northwestern University′s School of Education and Social Policy, and currently at Loyola University of Chicago School of Social Work, where he is also Internship Liaison. He has a private practice in psychotherapy, counseling, and consultation in Wilmette, IL and is currently a consultant at Wolcott College Prep, an independent school in Chicago. Tom also volunteers as a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Responder and has been a board member at A Safe Place, Lake County, IL and the Mental Health Association of the North Shore. He is a state appointed committee member of the Illinois Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission and the Lake County Family Violence Coordinating Council. He is on the program steering committee and is a regular presenter for the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute annual conference that addresses mental health. Dr. Golebiewski received his B.A. and M.S.W. from Loyola University in Chicago and his Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work from The Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago.

• ForewordChapter 1: The Need for Mentally Healthy SchoolsWhy is Mental Health important in schools?Creating a Mental Health Action PlanOverview of the Book and your PlanA Call to ActionCreating Your Mental Health Action Plan: A TemplateChapter 2: Mental Health and Mental ModelsMental Model: A Developmental Model for the Whole ChildMental Model: A Whole-School Systems Thinking ApproachMental Model: A Culture of CaringMental Model: A Continuum of CareMental Model: Thinking Differently about Mental HealthMental Model: A Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Approach to Mental HealthConclusion: Mental Models as the Foundation of your Action PlanChapter 3: Tier 1 Mental Health: Universal Supports for AllTier 1: What do we mean by “universal”?Tier 1 as Prevention and Early InterventionUniversal Challenges to EveryoneSafety First: “Maslow before you Bloom”Stigma and stereotypesDisconnection from Relationships and CommunityDiversity, Equity, and InclusionTier 1 InterventionsSocial and Emotional LearningPhysical Learning and WellnessAcademic and Cognitive LearningChapter 4: Tier 2 Issues and interventions for students, teachers, and parents…and schools!Tier 1 and Tier 2 Screeners: Building an Early Detection SystemInternalized behaviors: Stress, Anxiety, and TraumaImpact of StressSchool RefusalThe Window of ToleranceRelated Tier 2 Issues: Loneliness, Isolation, Grief, and LossTier II Interventions and StrategiesKnowing the Signs of DistressMindfulness in SchoolsStudent Behavior and Discipline: A Shift to Restorative PracticesPeer helping, Mediation, Mentoring, and TutoringAnti-Bullying ProgramsParent/Family education, programs, and engagementChapter 5: Tier 3: Supporting Students and Staff with the Greatest NeedsDefining Tier 3 and how it connects to Tier 1 and 2Defining Mental IllnessComorbidityAnxiety and DepressionSubstance UseDisordered EatingFocus on Self-HarmSuicidal IdeationSuicide InterventionFocus on Disruptive Behavior DisordersChildhood traumaEquity and Mental IllnessFocus on NeurodiversityTier 3 Prevention and InterventionSchool Staff Expertise and TrainingParent and Family SupportCommunity organizations and resourcesCrisis ResponseChapter 6: Integrating the Mental Health Action Plan in Your SchoolBegin with BelongingRethinking the Organization of a SchoolRethinking the Physical BuildingRethinking Technology and Mental HealthRethinking Curriculum, Instruction, and AssessmentRethinking Teachers and InstructionRethinking AssessmentRethinking TransitionsRethinking After School ActivitiesRethinking School Context and Community AssetsImplementing a Comprehensive Mental Health Action PlanA School that is Changing the Game: Wolcott College PrepConclusionAppendix A: Mental Health Action Plan Template

"The Schools We Need Now resonates deeply with the challenges and responsibilities we face in nurturing students in today′s schools. This insightful guide offers a crucial perspective, emphasizing the paramount importance of addressing social and emotional concepts during this pivotal stage of students′ cognitive development. It serves as an invaluable tool for administrators, providing practical strategies to guide our school communities toward creating environments that prioritize mental health. As a founding principal of a middle school that opened in July 2022, I highly encourage others to utilize this must-read roadmap for fostering positive, supportive spaces where young minds flourish and thrive."