Social and Emotional Learning Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems

Opportunities for students and staff to engage in social and emotional learning (SEL) are an essential feature of a high-quality Comprehensive School Mental Health System (CSMHS). A CSMHS provides a continuum of services and supports that:

• Promote positive school climate
• Promote SEL
• Promote mental health and wellbeing
• Reduce the prevalence and severity of mental illness

A CSMHS increases equity by ensuring all students and staff have access to the prevention, early intervention, and treatment supports that they need, when they need them, free of consequence or stigma.

A CSMHS includes a continuum of supports that is anchored in a strong universal level of mental health promotion activities. Mental health promotion activities aim to increase protective factors while decreasing risk factors. Social and emotional learning helps students and staff develop social and emotional competencies that act as protective factors and promote wellbeing. Social and emotional learning is one part of a broader, coordinated school effort to promote student and staff wellbeing.

For more information on Wisconsin’s Comprehensive School Mental Health Framework, visit the School Mental Health page.