Pierre, SD, USA / DRGNews
Apr 16, 2021 9:37 AM
To help ensure children are psychologically and physically safe before, during and after unexpected negative events, the University of South Dakota (USD) and Department of Social Services (DSS) are working together to train South Dakota school personnel.
The USD School Psychology program and DSS Division of Behavioral Health have partnered to provide crisis prevention and response training to K-12 schools throughout South Dakota.
“The mental and physical health and well-being of children is paramount. This partnership will support the skills and resources our schools in South Dakota need to help protect children,” said DSS Cabinet Secretary Laurie Gill. “From pandemics to natural disasters to news about violence and crises across the globe, our students and school personnel face a lot of uncertainty and stress. They need positive coping skills to deal with what is going on around them and this partnership will help provide that
Partnership will train school staff in crisis response
Associated Press 2 hrs ago
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) A new partnership between the University of South Dakota and the state Department of Social Services will train more personnel in elementary and secondary schools on crisis prevention and response.
The training will help mental health providers in schools to identify children who are in need of services and how to meet those needs.
“We know the impact of the pandemic and natural disasters in South Dakota has been hard on all of us,” said Kari Oyen, program director and assistant professor of school psychology at USD. “We want to focus on giving educators the tools to respond to a child who may be struggling.”
A new partnership between the University of South Dakota and the state’s Department of Social Services could help ensure children are psychologically and physically safe before, during and after unexpected negative events.
USD and DSS hope to train more South Dakota school personnel on crisis prevention and response training to K-12 schools throughout South Dakota.
Training will help school-based mental health providers learn how to identify children who demonstrate mental health needs and how to match interventions facilitated by school employees to meet those needs.
The training will also help identify if a child demonstrates high risk with intensive needs that require community-based services provided outside of the school setting.