5 Steps Schools Can Take Now to Strengthen Mental Health Support

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year’s theme, Turning Awareness into Action, highlights the importance of providing meaningful support for student well-being. With mental health challenges on the rise, schools must take proactive steps to ensure students receive the right interventions at the right time.

The good news? Schools don’t have to start from scratch. By taking strategic steps, educators can build and sustain stronger school-based mental health supports—helping students before challenges escalate.

Here are five actionable steps to enhance mental health support in schools:

1. Prioritize Educator Well-Being

Teachers and school staff play a critical role in student mental health—but they can’t pour from an empty cup. Supporting educators’ well-being is essential for creating a positive school climate. Schools can help by:

• Offering mental health training and professional development
• Providing self-care resources and wellness initiatives
• Encouraging peer support networks to reduce stress and burnout

When educators feel supported, they are better equipped to recognize and respond to student needs.

2. Identify At-Risk Students Early

Early intervention is key to preventing mental health concerns from escalating. Schools should implement data-driven strategies to identify students in need of additional support. Effective approaches include:

✔ Teacher referrals based on classroom observations
✔ Behavior tracking to monitor attendance, discipline incidents, and engagement
✔ Student self-assessments to measure emotional well-being

By proactively identifying at-risk students, schools can provide timely, targeted interventions before issues become severe.

3. Focus on Tier 2 Interventions

The youth mental health crisis is challenging schools to provide better support for students at all levels. While current strategies often focus on universal Tier 1 supports or addressing urgent Tier 3 crises, Tier 2 interventions—a vital bridge between prevention and crisis management—remain overlooked in many systems. Implementing effective Tier 2 supports can help schools address students’ needs early, fostering resilience and success while avoiding costly and complex escalations.

Tier 2 interventions should offer structured, research-based support that helps students build resilience, emotional regulation, and coping skills. Programs like EmpowerU provide:

• One-on-one coaching for highly-supported and personalized feedback that drives accountability and motivation
• Personalized, skill-building lessons to equip students with lasting resilience strategies they can use now and in the future
• A proactive, student-centered approach that allows students to set their own goals and create a plan to take steps toward achieving them, leading to stronger buy-in and positive outcomes

By focusing on preventative, skill-based programs, schools can bridge the gap between universal supports and more intensive interventions.

4. Measure Impact

Effective mental health interventions rely on data-driven decision-making. Schools should consistently track student progress and program effectiveness using key indicators such as:

• Attendance & Engagement – Are students attending school regularly and participating in learning
• Emotional Well-Being – Are students showing improvements in self-regulation and resilience?
• Behavioral Outcomes – Are discipline referrals decreasing as students gain coping strategies?

Using evidence-based insights allows educators to refine their approach and demonstrate the impact of mental health initiatives.

5. Advocate for Funding

Sustaining mental health interventions requires long-term investment. School leaders can work with district administrators, policymakers, and grant providers to:

• Secure dedicated funding for mental health programs
• Leverage federal and state resources to expand supports
• Highlight data and success stories to build a case for continued investment

When schools advocate for funding, they ensure consistent, high-quality support for students who need it most.

Want to learn more? Click here to access the latest research, funding strategies, and expert tips to strengthen mental health support in your district. Plus watch Catapult Learning’s webinar, Solving the Tier 2 Puzzle – Supporting Student Mental Health Before a Crisis, where mental health leaders discuss funding strategies, common barriers, and actionable steps schools can take to enhance mental health support.