Mental Health Services

Helping Every Child Grow Emotionally and Socially

We want every child in our early education programs to grow in healthy, positive ways. We help children learn:

• Self-control

• Confidence

• How to get along with others

• How to build strong, caring relationships

• How to understand and express their feelings

Our caring Mental Health team supports both children and families. They:

• Give one-on-one advice

• Lead parent workshops

• Share helpful parenting tips and tools

• Visit classrooms to support teachers and children

• Connect families with community services if needed

If your family is going through a hard time, we’re here to help with extra support and resources.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out — we’re here for you.

Mental health is about how kids think, feel, and act. It includes their emotions, thoughts, and how they get along with others. Mental health affects how kids handle stress, make friends, and make choices. It is important at every age. Good mental health helps kids grow, learn, and feel better about themselves.

Some kids have trouble with social and emotional learning. They might find it hard to control their behavior, handle stress, or solve problems. New research shows that even very young children can be hurt by tough experiences like losing a parent, parents divorcing, violence at home, drug or alcohol problems in the family, or moving a lot. These hard times can make young kids feel upset and act out in difficult ways. If these problems aren’t noticed and helped early, they can make it harder for kids to grow up healthy and strong.

• Throws tantrums a lot or often acts defiant or angry
• Seems sad, unhappy, or cries a lot
• Pulls away from others and wants to be alone
• Changes how they eat
• Starts wetting the bed or acting younger than they are
• Does worse in school
• Doesn’t improve in school even though they try hard

The Mental Health Department has a Licensed Social Worker, a School Psychologist, and a Mental Health Intern who is still in school. They help families by talking with them, watching the child in class, visiting the child’s home, and meeting with teachers and parents. They are also ready to support parents when things are stressful or if they have questions about mental health.

If you want help with mental health services, you can talk to your child’s teacher or family services advocate to get a referral. You can also reach the Mental Health staff directly using the Contact Us tab. Check our webpage often to find free parent webinars, trainings, and other helpful resources.

Mental health is about how kids feel inside, think, and get along with others. It affects how they handle stress, make friends, and make good choices. Mental health is important at every age. It includes feelings, behavior, and social skills, and is very important for staying healthy overall.

Social-Emotional Learning, or SEL, is how kids learn to understand and manage their feelings, get along with others, and make good choices. SEL helps us handle problems, work with friends, and feel good about ourselves. SEL is one way to build strong mental health.

1. Make a Visual Schedule

Young children do well when they have routines. You can help by making a schedule with pictures. This helps children finish tasks and become more independent. You can find free printable schedules online or make your own!

2. Use a Feelings Chart

A feelings chart helps children learn about their emotions. It’s a fun way to talk about feelings. When a child feels strong emotions, ask them to point to the face on the chart that shows how they feel. Help them name the feeling and talk about it.

3. Read Social Stories

Social stories are special books that help children learn about feelings and how to act with others. If you want book ideas, check our suggested picture books list. While reading, ask your child questions like: How do you think this character feels? Why? What would you do if you felt that way? How could you help the character feel better?

4. Dance

Moving and dancing can make children feel happier and help them control their emotions. Dancing also keeps children healthy. Let your child move however the music makes them feel.

5. Yoga and Mindfulness

Yoga and mindfulness help children learn to relax and calm down. These activities teach self-control and how to manage feelings.

Mental health includes how children feel, think, and get along with others. It affects how children handle stress, make friends, and make choices. Mental health is important at every age. It looks at feelings, behavior, and social skills, and is very important for overall health.

• Have you ever felt like this?

• What would you do?

• When do you feel this way?

• What happens to your body when you feel happy, sad, proud, mad, or other feelings?

• When do you usually feel happy, sad, proud, mad, or other feelings?

Recommended Books for Emotional Intelligence

Books for Anxiety

• Ruby Finds a Worry
• The Very Hungry Worry Monster
• Calm with the Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Breathe Like a Bear

Books for Grief

• The Invisible String
• Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories
• The Goodbye Book
• Always Remember

Books for Resilience

• The Thing Lou Couldn't Do
• How to Catch a Star
• Whistle for Willie
• The Carrot Seed

Books for Anger

• Llama Llama Mad at Mama
• My No, No, No Day!
• When I am Angry
• Angry Cookie

Books for Kindness

• Tomorrow I'll be Kind
• Kindness Makes us Strong
• If You Plant a Seed
• Pass It On

Books for Self-Esteem

• I Am Every Good Thing
• Elephants Cannot Dance
• Perfectly Norman
• Skin Like Mine

The Mental Health staff at PUSD are here to help parents. They can talk with parents, suggest ways to support kids, and connect families to community services that can help.