Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
5 <br /> HAPEL HILL- <br /> RRBORO <br /> GCTY SCHOOLS <br /> Subject: CHCCS Spending Plan for the Orange County Mental Health and Achievement <br /> Grant <br /> Attachment(s): Slide Deck <br /> PURPOSE: To provide the Board of County Commissioners with a proposal for approval <br /> of the CHCCS Spending Plan for the Orange County Mental Health and Achievement <br /> Grant. <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> Our district continues to recognize the many challenges faced by students, staff, and families when we <br /> returned to school for the 2021-2022 academic school year. While everyone has been uniquely impacted <br /> by the pandemic, many of our students and staff share a common impact on their social, emotional, and <br /> behavioral well-being. With over 19 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is particularly important to <br /> acknowledge the impact this national crisis has had on the overall mental health of us all, but most <br /> importantly our students. Prior to the pandemic, nearly one in five North Carolina students had at least <br /> one emotional, behavioral or developmental disability (Splett, 2014). Without a doubt,the emotional and <br /> mental health concerns of our students have only been exacerbated as a result of the pandemic along with <br /> academic concerns they have experienced this school year. For many of our students, our schools are the <br /> only place they receive access to academic, social and mental health support. <br /> Mental health is important at every stage of development in our lives from early childhood, adolescence <br /> and adulthood. As we focus on the development of mental health in our students, our schools focus on <br /> three priority areas: social (how we relate to others), emotional(how do we feel) and behavioral(how do <br /> we act), all which contribute to our overall well-being. As some of our students struggle with the <br /> development of skills in these areas, mental health challenges contribute to their inability to achieve <br /> success in our schools which will inevitably impact their success in life. Our efforts to improve the <br /> outcomes for our students must go beyond the focus on academic instruction to include providing them <br /> with a strong foundation of social, emotional and behavioral development to leverage their academic <br /> success. <br /> Current Status of Social and Emotional Learning,Mental Health Needs and Supports <br />