2024 CDE Fall Conference: Creating a Landscape of Wellbeing and Belonging

Even though there are best practice guides for well-being and mental health, the gap between best practice and implementation is wide. Join us for a panel of real-life school leaders and mental health professionals from across the state that have successfully implemented best practices for social-emotional well-being. Participants will hear school leaders share their experiences of implementing and sustaining novel interventions such as: ensuring students are not disciplined for mental health experiences, using quarterly data analysis for effective PBIS delivery, supporting special populations, truly welcoming all students and reviewing school-wide individual SEL goals.


Session Objectives:

• Participants will learn how school leaders have implemented real-life best practices.
• Participants will learn how school leaders have navigated barriers to implement best practices for wellbeing.

This presentation will focus on the importance of developing, maintaining, and strengthening relationships with key community partners, specifically in regards to the different aspects of school safety. Participants will hear how a partnership between a a small, urban school district and a school-based community health clinic was created and is maintained to support the students and families within this community, as well as partner with the schools to create a multi-disciplinary, multi-faceted approach to meeting the student's needs and creating a network around students who are more at-risk in regards to safety. Challenges, solutions, and lessons-learned will be shared, as well as an overview of logistics and key-considerations for the planning phases of future partnerships.

Session Objectives:

• High-leverage opportunities and important partnerships
• Best practices and legal considerations for effective collaboration
• Important considerations during the planning and implementation phase

How do you want your life to look? Manifestation is not about just attracting “things” into your life but rather empowering yourself to live your best life. A vision board can illustrate the person you truly want to become. In this session, we will discuss how vision boarding can support student and employee wellness and then provide time for you to start creating your own individual or team vision board that represents what you hope to achieve this school year. Supplies will be provided. If you have your own supplies or magazines, please bring those, too.

Session Objectives:

(1) Explain what manifesting a vision is and the basic neuroscience behind the effectiveness of vision boards.
(2) Identify types of vision boards and when vision boarding may be a useful intervention for student and employee wellbeing.
(3) Create a situational vision board that displays your goals for the new school year.

This session caters to administrators, educators, mental health providers, and community-based organizations eager to cultivate collaboration across rural regions. Embracing a regional approach significantly enhances collective impact, fosters responsive systems, and ensures sustained implementation of initiatives like Colorado Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports. Amid ongoing uncertainties and educator turnover, continuous capacity building is pivotal for effective implementation. The panel will spotlight the formation of a Regional Implementation Team, comprising diverse voices from CDE offices, educators, community-based organizations, and Adams State University. Its goal: fortify equity for vulnerable youth, offer high-quality professional development, and enhance staff well-being. Gain firsthand insights from small rural districts on implementing COMTSS alongside community members, fostering impactful outcomes, and boosting equity for historically marginalized communities in rural areas.

Session Objectives:

1. Participants will grasp the importance of collaboration among administrators, educators, mental health providers, and community-based organizations across the region to improve educational outcomes.

2. Participants will learn how to enhance equity for vulnerable youth by establishing a Regional Implementation Team comprising diverse voices from CDE offices, educators, community-based organizations, and Adams State University.

3. Participants will comprehend how a regional implementation team offers professional development opportunities to enhance staff skills and well-being, ensuring the effective implementation of initiatives like COMTSS.