Mental Health &
Wellbeing in Schools
All children should have the chance to live happy, healthy lives.
At The Holistic Healthcare Group, we believe all children and young adults should have the chance to live happy, healthy lives.
But sometimes, it isn’t that easy. Around 1 in 9 children ages 5-15 are currently struggling with some form of mental health disorder. The biggest culprits? Anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorders. In fact, mental health issues are the second most common reason a child will take time off school, and if left untreated can lead to long-term mental health struggles. It’s not a small issue – it’s a widespread problem that needs to be addressed at the root. More and more young children and teenagers are struggling to cope with their mental health. We are seeing rising rates of depression, anxiety and self-harm in young adults, which is why we need to ensure they have the support networks and tools they need to understand what they are experiencing, and how they can work through it in a healthy and safe way.
Now, more than ever, students need to be able to understand how mental illnesses can impact them, what that looks like, and what tools are available to support them through difficult times.
But while learning how to understand and manage your own mental health is an important part of growing up – it isn’t currently taught as a part of mainstream education. Instead, it’s shied away from, which means students aren’t able to understand their own thoughts and emotions, know what’s normal, and develop healthy coping mechanisms. At The Holistic Healthcare Group, our education arm is dedicated to providing schools with the tools and resources they need to do just that.
Mental Health Lessons for Students
Our mental health lessons are designed to provide a tailored approach to mental health education. We teach students that it’s OK not to be OK, what good mental health is, and how to recognise if their own mental health is starting to deteriorate. Through exercises, games, talks and demonstration of therapies, we empower children to take control of their own mental health, and give them the tools and knowledge they need to do that inside school and out.
Teacher Mental Health Training & Strategy
Of course, it’s not just the students that need support. Work related stress and mental health struggles are currently at their highest ever in the teaching profession, with over 84% of teachers reporting stress, anxiety, or depression at work. We work closely with schools to design mental health strategies not only for students, but for the teachers too. Our mental health experts can help you understand the needs of your teachers and students, and design a tailored strategy to support them each in a real and measurable way. We then train you in implementing the techniques in an easy, manageable way, so that you can deliver higher-quality teaching and use the techniques yourself, without it being another big job on the list.
"Around 1 in 9 children aged 5-15 now suffer from some form of mental health disorder, with the biggest culprits being anxiety, depression and other emotional disorders"
- The NHS
121 Therapist Support
Some teachers (or students) may find they want more one-on-one support for their issues. We can provide trained therapists to help support them with their mental health, and provide a range of therapies on-site, or through our virtual clinic. This ensures your team and students have regular, easy access to therapies and support for any kind of mental health struggle. The type of therapy can be static, or it can be alternated to provide a variety of options.
Wellbeing Classes
Alongside general mental health education, we also provide general wellbeing classes. These are the perfect complimentary lesson for children, as it gives them a chance to experiment with activities and learn techniques that can improve their mental wellbeing well into adulthood. Some of the wellbeing classes we offer include yoga, mindfulness and meditation, along with many more. Students are guided through the classes and provided with all the support and information they need.
"The whole event was a huge success thanks to Sophie and her incredible team. The children loved the new experiences and comment that it made them feel stress free and calm."
- Sarah Oliver | Head Teacher of Rowledge C of E Primary School
Rowledge C of E Primary school were in a very fortunate position last week to be able to work on one of their passions - well being for children. They teamed up with Sophie Kirk, from The Holistic Healthcare Group to provide all children with two days of unique insight into alternative therapies and how they might help children with their mental health. The children were able to find out about the possible benefits of Hypnotherapy, Life Coaching, Aromatherapy, Emotional Freedom Technique, Mindfulness, Meditation and Yoga! This was quite an undertaking with over 40 therapists visiting the school across the two days.
Sarah Oliver, Headteacher said 'This was an opportunity that couldn't be missed. Sophie believes that children need to know strategies for managing their feelings and the pressures of modern living'. She explained that 'There are many children in primary schools who are already developing the early signs of having mental health difficulties. The earlier we can support them in finding ways to manage these things the better chance they have of developing their resilience.'
She went on to say that 'The whole event was a huge success thanks to Sophie and her incredible team. The children loved the new experiences and comment that it made them feel stress free and calm.'
The school intend to continue the work and are planning their next steps with Sophie.
After School Clubs
If students want to understand more about the interconnected system that is their body, and how to treat their mental health in a holistic way, we can also offer after-school clubs. These are run by trained mental health professionals, and give students a chance to deep dive into the world of mental health, and learn new techniques and tools to support themselves. A few of the areas we can cover in after school clubs include aromatherapy, emotional freedom techniques, mindfulness, meditation, yoga and many more, all designed to teach children about their emotions in a fun and healthy way.
"ADHD, behaviour problems, anxiety, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children. 7.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) have a diagnosed behaviour problem."
- Children’s Mental Health (CDC/Gov)
Melp is a place where your students can access over 90 different tools and techniques to support them with their mental health care and development. Each month there will be new tools, techniques and therapies added, so they can continue to try new things and develop their mental health toolbox as they learn and grow.
Our Melp App
Our MELP app is a place where your students can access over 90 different tools and techniques to support them with their mental health care and development. Available online, they are free to explore the techniques, discover things to support them in issues they are facing, and try things out from the safety of their own home.
Every month there will be new tools, techniques and therapies added, so they can continue to try new things and develop their mental health toolbox as they learn and grow.
Resources
We provide a wide range of mental health resources for both students and teachers, including blog posts, e-magazines, reports, posters and nudges, all designed to encourage self-discovery and remind students of the support that is available to them. Our resources are all age appropriate, and provide a consistent reminder to everyone to take care of their mental health.
Tracking & Mental Health Check-ins
To make sure your efforts are actually working, we also provide tracking and check-in services for both teachers and students as part of our mental health strategies. Tracking is done using broad overview data from the MELP app, along with a range of surveys, questionnaires and trends. This gives us a range of both qualitative and quantitative data to analyse, which means we can provide realistic insights into your schools performance, where your students and teachers may be struggling, and what you could be doing to improve.
Our team can also do regular check-ins with both teachers and students, to offer extra support and guidance, and get a gauge of how your support structure is performing.
Request the Melp App Brochure for more information including prices etc.
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