Metal Health Services

Our goal is to nurture the development of every child enrolled in our early education programs, fostering their self-control, high self-esteem, positive peer interactions, secure attachments, and emotional literacy across a spectrum of feelings. Our dedicated Mental Health staff offers consultations and workshops for parents, equipping them with effective parenting strategies and tools. They conduct classroom observations to provide tailored support for staff and facilitate connections with community agencies as necessary. In times of familial trauma, we stand ready to offer additional support and resources. Do not hesitate to reach out to us should you require assistance!

Mental Health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being of children. It affects how children think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how children handle stress, relate to their peers, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life. It looks at possible social, emotional, and behavioral concerns and is essential to overall health.

Concerns with social emotional learning such as difficulty managing behaviors, stress, emotions, or difficulty problem-solving. In addition, latest research in child development has found that even very young children can be seriously affected by early life traumas, such as loss of a parent, divorce, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse in the family, or frequent changes in living situations. Young children can react to such trauma with various emotional distress and challenging behaviors. Without early identification and intervention, mental health issues may interfere with healthy development.

There are some behavioral indicators that can help determine if a child may be experiencing emotional difficulties:

• Repeated tantrums or consistently behaves in a defiant or aggressive way
• Seems sad or unhappy, or cries a lot
• Withdrawal
• Change in eating habits
• Bed wetting and regression to earlier behaviors they've outgrown
• Decline in school performance
• Poor academic growth despite strong efforts

The Mental Health Department is staffed by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, School Psychologist, and a graduate school Mental Health Intern. All offer consultations to families, make observations in the child's classrooms, conduct home visits, and meet with teachers and parents. In addition, staff is readily available to support parents during stressful situations, or any need or questions they may have in relation to mental health.

Contact your child's teacher or family services advocate for a referral for Mental Health services. You can also contact the Mental Health staff directly via our Contact Us tab. Stay up to date on our webpage on parent webinars/trainings available for FREE, and other parent resources.

Mental Health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being of children. It affects how children think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how children handle stress, relate to their peers, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life. It looks at possible social, emotional, and behavioral concerns and is essential to overall health.

1. Make a Visual Schedule

Young children thrive on routine and schedule, and you can visualize that for them. A schedule or routine accompanied with pictures is a great way for children to complete tasks and promote independence. Try the following links for FREE printable schedules or get creative and create your own!

2. Use a Feelings Chart

A feelings chart is an invaluable tool to support children in discovering and understanding their emotions. This promotes increased self-regulation and a fun way to have conversations with young children about their feelings. When a child is experiencing big emotions, ask children to point to the emotion face on the feelings chart, help them name it, and support them to talk about their emotions.

3. Read Social Stories

Social stories are specific types of books that are geared toward promoting your child’s social-emotional learning (SEL); they help process and understand emotions through relating to the characters in the stories. If you would like some recommendations, please refer to our suggested picture books list tab. While reading the stories, prompt your child with open-ended questions such as: How do you think this character is feeling? Why do you think (character) is feeling this way? What would you do if you felt (emotion)? How would you react? What could you do to make (character) feel better?

4. Dance

Movement has been proven to increase children’s mood, self-regulation, and helps children stay healthy overall. Dancing promotes increased emotional intelligence in young children and you can ask your child to move any way the music makes them feel.

5. Yoga and Mindfulness

Yoga and mindfulness activities are beneficial for young children as they are for us! These activities can teach your child how to relax and calm their bodies, allowing them to gain self-control and self-regulation.

Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how children think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how children handle stress, relate to their peers, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life. It looks at possible social, emotional, and behavioral concerns and is essential to overall health.

• Have you ever felt like that?
• What would you do?
• When do you feel like that?
• What happens to your body when you feel (happy, sad, proud, mad, etc.)?
• When are times you feel (happy, sad, proud, mad, etc.?)

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 is available to provide consultations to parents, referrals for intervention support, and referrals to community agencies to address children’s, parents, and families’ needs.