National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment Resource Library

This issue brief shares a model about a collaboration between Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and Boys and Girls Club (BCG) to pilot behavioral and mental health services for youth in grades 1-12 participating in 13 out-of-school programs. This model used initial SAMSHA funding to bring 2 counselors as well as graduate practicum students into the BGC to provide social-emotional learning, behavioral, and mental health services and to train staff on trauma-informed care, suicide, substance abuse response, and how to make referrals. These supports will be sustained as they fast-tracked the process of Medicaid credentialing. This resource supports equity.

This webinar by the Grantmakers for Education OST Impact group shares how funders, adults, and peers in OST spaces can provide support to LGBTQ+ youth, especially in the current context of attacks on LGBTQ+ identities. Panelists from the Trevor Project, Horizons Foundation, and an LGBTQ+ organization in Florida shared data on mental health concerns and suggestions for ways to create safe spaces in OST programs. A robust list of resources are also included. This resource supports equity.  

This case study highlights the historical context behind the Pay Equity Fund, the vision and goals of the fund, early implementation successes and challenges, and future goals based on interviews with key informants, parents and guardians, center directors, and home-based providers. The goal of the Pay Equity Fund is to improve staff recruitment, retention, and morale and mental health, as well as program quality improvement and child outcomes. These findings can inform jurisdictions across the country as they design and implement compensation improvements for the child care workforce. 

On June 29, 2023, the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment hosted the webinar “Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health Supports for Out-of-School Time: A Conversation on Strategies and Systems” to address the topic of building SEL and mental health capacity for Out-of-School Time programming.  The event included a facilitated discussion with system leaders on the best strategies to equitably address the SEL and mental health needs of children and families, along with consideration for culture, ethnicity, linguistic needs, income, historical context, and other factors.

The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment emphasizes that OST programs provide measurable benefits to youth and families, demonstrably improving academic and developmental outcomes along with other results such as positive youth-adult relationships and social-emotional learning. The Out-of-School Time Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health Toolkit (Toolkit) was developed to support OST/school-age child care system leaders, technical assistance associates, and program providers. 

This toolkit provides readers with a general command of:
• Key Terms
• Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health

The toolkit also provides targeted relevance and resources for system and program leaders on the following topics:
• Trauma
• Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health Support
• Family Engagement Strategies

We encourage readers to utilize this toolkit as a supplement for OST programming and curricula or as a standalone resource to clarify your
SEL and mental health learning practices and supports.

This issue brief uses data from 2020 National Survey of Children's Health(NSCH) to describe the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in children ages birth to 17. This is important information as children with a higher number of ACEs are at higher risk for negative outcomes for mental health, health, and financial well-being. The brief includes charts of the number of ACEs children have by state, by race and ethnicity, and by health outcomes. This resource supports resiliency.

This profile of innovation is part of a series of innovative initiatives in Child Care Development Fund lead agencies to support social-emotional and mental health as part of pandemic recovery. It includes examples from CO, KY, and SC on expanding mental health consultation and training, provider and director cafes for peer support on stress and trauma, and well-being coaches that help centers establish a well-being plan. An additional profile of innovation, Idaho Community Program Grant, highlights a grant opportunity for programs to receive funding to address student learning loss and behavioral health supports for ages 5-13; it can be found here. https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/new-occ/resource/files/id_profile.pdf.  This resource supports resiliency.

This course from Better Kid Care focuses on three tiers of strategies educators and programs can use to create a culture of caring that prioritizes relationships and supports for mental health and well-being. These are important strategies, given that research has found that educators' emotional availability and sensitivity to children's needs decrease in times of stress. To promote well-being, the module suggests developing a culture of caring, deepening relationships, and promoting work-life balance and self-care. To prevent burnout, suggestions include offering job accommodations, reflective supervision, and referrals to community resources. There are helpful worksheets such as burnout assessment and team-building activities. Available in Spanish. This resource supports resiliency. This resource supports equity.

This issue brief explores how youth-led efforts can be a response to the rising number of youth with mental health challenges and the shortage of school psychologists and counselors. It includes an overview of an Ohio suicide prevention program and an Oregon teen-to-teen youth crisis line. There are also interviews with the youth leaders and a list of relevant resources. A companion webinar highlighting the experiences of three youth leaders in supporting peer-to-peer mental health programs can be found here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikcpEPFByKw This resource supports resiliency.

Temescal Associates sponsored this webinar to explore the concerns being raised about youth mental health following their return to school and afterschool after the COVID shutdown. It features Dr. Gil Noam from Partnerships in Education and Resiliency (PEAR) and a panel with Eric Gurna, consultant and former President of LA's Best, and Diane Carrillo from ARC-Experience. With surveys indicating that 30 percent of youth need intervention, and the shortage of mental health clinicians, the panel explores the role out-of-school can play in supporting youth mental health through trauma-informed practice and in providing routine and structure, physical outlets, positive behavior management, and helping youth learn self-management through activities like yoga and mindfulness. This resource supports resiliency.