Forcibly displaced youth (FDY) are young people who have resettled in the United States as refugees, asylees, or asylum seekers. FDY access schools almost immediately upon their arrival, which creates an opportunity to address social-emotional needs while providing instruction in the English language and academic content (Fazel et al., 2016; Tyrer…

All four authors of this article are active in the movement toward more comprehensive school mental health (SMH) services involving community mental health staff joining school employees to increase the depth and quality of programs and services within the multitiered system of support (MTSS; Garbacz, 2019; Mellin & Weist, 2011; Weist, Lever,…

This article is part of a year-long series facilitated by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Social Justice Committee (SJC) highlighting the impact of health disparities on youth through a social justice lens for school psychologists. Historical and systemic racism and instructional inequities contribute to mental health…

Now, more than ever, transgender and gender diverse youth need allyship and support in educational settings. Advocating for those most vulnerable to recent legal restrictions must be a priority for practitioners. Navigating barriers while upholding ethical codes and best practices can be difficult to implement in many school systems. The aim of…

Positive mental health is more than the absence of psychological symptoms. Considerable research has focused on positive indicators of strengths, including emotional strengths such as gratitude, life satisfaction, and hope. These three constructs, which have been referred to as the "triad of positive emotions"represent emotional…

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, has swiftly infected millions of people since it was first identified in late 2019. While much remains unknown about the virus, it is increasingly clear that many survivors (including children and adolescents) struggle with ongoing symptoms for months after they receive a negative test.…

In 2010, Scott Huebner authored an article in "Communiqué" in which he suggested that happiness was a neglected but important topic in education in general and school psychology in particular (Huebner, 2010). At the time, there was a rapidly developing, but still rather modest body of evidence to support the contention. The purpose of…

School psychologists, especially those on the front lines, are working under difficult conditions, dealing with new mandates and procedures, and often without the essential tools necessary to do their jobs optimally. Surmounting obstacles associated with COVID-19 will require school psychologists to develop new ways to provide essential services.…

COVID-19 is a crisis unlike any the country has faced before. Unlike other events, the pandemic is affecting every community in some way. The constantly evolving situation is creating significant stress and uncertainty--not only for children and youth, but also for those charged with caring for those students at home and in educational and mental…

School psychologists deal with challenging situations, including taking on student traumatic experiences, screening for mental health difficulties, dealing with difficult parents, navigating conflict-filled team meetings, advocating for student and family needs, hearing stories of abuse, and supporting school staff who may be experiencing…

Teaching the art and science of well-being in schools can equip both students and teachers with the skills and confidence to better manage their emotions, develop constructive thinking styles, form positive self-identities, better understand their personal values, and establish healthy relationships with others and the community. Through the lens…

Most research on positive psychology interventions (PPIs) has involved young adults and adolescents, but not young children. O'Grady (2013) suggested some conceptually promising pedagogical strategies that teachers can use to integrate PPI into the elementary school classroom. These general ideas include: (1) teaching the language of emotions and…

Depression is the leading cause of disability and illness for individuals ages 10 to 19 (World Health Organization, 2014) and, despite inconsistencies regarding prevalence rates among racial groups (Merikangas, Nakamura, & Kessler, 2009), non-Whites are often affected by this diagnosis at higher rates than White youth (Wagstaff & Polo,…

The school is a primary context in which children and teenagers learn and interact with others. Chinese school professionals have attached great importance to students' psychological health (Huang, 2012). However, in traditional Chinese psychology, psychological education referred to educational activities, such as mental health classes,…

Although Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) students may not be the most obvious group of adolescents in need of extra supports, this population has salient and unique risk factors in need of specialized services, such as elevated perceived stress levels. The heightened academic demands placed on these students is an…