How to Address Student Mental Health and Emergency Preparedness during Reopening

Returning to school full-time is going to be a challenge for students. Combine the anxiety of being back together with uncertainty and a readjustment to in-person classroom life, some of which will also likely be mixed in with remote learning, and life moving forward will be complicated for students.

On this episode of the School Safety Today Podcast by Raptor Technologies, host Hilary Kennedy talked with Dr. Scott Poland, Professor and Co-Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office, as well as Chief Craig Miller, Retired Chief of Police for the Dallas ISD Police Department.

Raptor is the nation’s leading provider of integrated visitor, volunteer and emergency management software, which is purpose-built to fully protect schools from any threat.

The trio chatted about what a safe reopening will look like for students, as they will have to contend with new mental health battles and emergency preparedness.

Mental healthcare will be at the top of the list, as students will undoubtedly have issues coming back into school after one of the most significant stressors in their lives.

When it comes to student health and mental health, Poland believes it’s essential that all involved parties stick together to work on the best possible outcomes and safeguard students, including schools, parents, police departments and mental health professionals.

One of the main things affecting student mental health will be lost ground, academically.

“I do have a great deal of confidence in teachers,” Poland said. “They’ll figure out a way to help students catch up. But I think we have to acknowledge, in particular, children who lived in poverty and children of color. They fell further behind.”