School Wellness Programs

Outline of Our School Wellness Program

Our program works with the primary stakeholders by addressing students, parents, and teachers, by orienting them to various aspects of mental wellness. We collaborate with the schools and work with them based on the requirements of the schools or throughout the academic year as well. Our program is based on the four foundation pillars which are:

• Exploring self
• Interpersonal skills
• Dealing with emotions
• Understanding mental illnesses

Keeping in mind the four foundation pillars, we work towards enhancing children’s mental well-being which also caters to their academic, social, and overall well-being. Following is the breakdown of how we deliver our school mental health programs.

Students Workshops

We work with students at both individual and group levels at their school premises. Our team provides students with support, guidance, nurturance, and resources throughout the academic year. The objective of this individual session is for early identification of mental health issues. This helps break stigma barriers and makes the child more comfortable to reach out to a counselor in times of crisis. For the group sessions, we address various areas of emotional wellness and concern areas common for children of that age group. Some of the topics that we work on are:

• Peer relationships
• Self-esteem
• Goal setting
• Empathy building
• Understanding depression
• Resilience building
• Dealing with exam stress
• Dealing with bullying & cyberbullying
• Self-care and many more

Teacher Training Programs

We provide teacher training programs that help in understanding mental health, understanding various mental health issues in children, and equip teachers in dealing with emotional distress in children and provide emotional first aid. Some of the topics that we work on are:

• Stress & its management
• Empathy building in teachers
• Self-care
• Early identification of various mental illnesses in children

Parent Awareness Programs

We conduct various parent awareness programs such as decoding stress, the importance of self-care, and positive parenting, and awareness of various mental health issues among young children and adolescents. This equips the parents with coping skills for themselves and for their children. Some of the common topics that we cover are:

• Digital free parenting
• Handling temper tantrums
• Parenting teens
• Parenting styles
• Work-life balance
• Talking about boundaries
• Deal with exam stress
• How to improve empathy in children

Counselor at School

Our counselors are stationed at the school premises on specific days of the week. The counselors provide one on one counseling sessions for students either referred by teachers or school management or when students reach out themselves.

24/7 Helpline for Students

We provide a 24/7 helpline for high school students where they can reach out and speak with our counselors in times of emotional distress.

FAQ

 What are the top benefits of school wellness programs?

Reducing Stress

Many countries have now started with school wellness programs because they have the potential to perform well while meeting a range of health system objectives. Some of the top benefits of school wellness programs in India are:

Accessibility: School wellness programs operate wherever children and adolescents are, and they are quite accessible to families. Children or families don’t have to face obstacles like transportation, appointment systems, and traveling to inconvenient locations. School wellness programs also act on various factors of health by conducting health interventions and environmental change strategies for children, parents, and teachers.

Effective awareness of health services: Wellness programs in schools are effective because they bring awareness about various health issues that affect mental and physical health. They shed light on the importance of physical activity for your child, self-care for mental stability, and prevention of infectious diseases.

High value: School wellness programs have shown positive results, and they are highly valued by students, parents, and teachers. These wellness programs are well received because they provide a link between the school and the community.

Promoting the importance of mental health in schools: School wellness programs are determined about promoting the importance of mental health to teachers, students, and parents. Most people start facing mental health issues by the early age of 14, and they have little to no idea on how to deal with them. Wellness programs in India offer skills and confidence that will help with early intervention. The program will also build on protective elements that prevent mental illnesses at an early age.

How do school wellness programs promote mental health?

School wellness programs promote mental health awareness by:

Implementing a Whole School Approach

This approach includes everyone like leaders, teachers, staff, and parents. This is done to instill a safe and inclusive learning culture. It includes providing emotional and social skill programs, providing support, and involving the students along with their families in decision making.

Building Resilience in Students

School wellness programs in India aim that the students develop the ability to cope and succeed in negative or stressful events. This skill is developed through positive social networking, secure environments, positive coping, and positive self-regard.