Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Supports

MPS has a bullying policy, MPS Administrative Policy 8.52. The policy describes bullying as behavior (words or actions) done on purpose to cause fear or harm. Bullying may be repeated behavior. Bullying involves unequal power such as size, age, group size, or popularity. It is important to understand the definition of bullying to know how it is different from other kinds of aggression. Many instances of aggression between students are conflicts and not bullying.

If you have reported a bullying situation to your school and feel the situation has not been adequately resolved, follow the MPS Family Dispute Resolution Process.

Contact ViolencePrevention@milwaukeepublicschools.org with questions or concerns about bullying.

Internet, digital, online, or cyber safety (or e-safety) means trying to be safe on the Internet by being aware of personal safety and security risks. These risks include access to private information, risks to property associated with using the Internet, and computer crimes.

You would never reveal any personal information about yourself or your family to a complete stranger. That same rule applies to online activity. As parents, it is extremely important to educate yourself and your children about the dangers present online. It’s also vital to create and enforce Internet usage rules. Creating these boundaries will allow for a safer Internet experience.

Grief is a natural response to loss. This could be the loss of a loved one; however, grief can also be experienced after other losses, such as a divorce or breakup, loss of a job, death of a pet, or loss of feelings of safety following a traumatic experience. Grief can last for a short time or for a much longer time. With the right support system, people can navigate feelings of grief. Sometimes it is helpful to seek outside support when your grief feels like it is too much to bear.

Local grief counselors can be found in the Parent Guide to Community Resources or at Psychology Today's Milwaukee directory, or you can consult with your pediatrician or school support staff to help you find local resources.

Healthy relationships are those with basic but essential elements: respect, communication, trust, boundaries, honesty, and equality. The absence of one or more of these elements can mean that a relationship is unhealthy or even abusive. Unhealthy relationships can start early and last a lifetime. Teen dating violence can include physical or sexual violence, psychological aggression, or stalking. The good news is that violence is preventable, and we can all help young people grow up violence-free.

For additional information on healthy relationships and teen dating violence, reach out to MPS Liaison Jessica Goodman Schutz at Family Peace Center at goodmajm@milwaukeepublicschools.org or contact the Violence Prevention Office at ViolencePrevention@milwaukeepublicschools.org.

Human trafficking is the misuse of someone for the exchange of something of value. There are two types: labor trafficking and sex trafficking. All ages, genders, and races are at risk of being victimized. It is important to know indicators of trafficking so that support can be provided as quickly as possible.

For emergency situations or support from law enforcement please call 911.

To speak with someone immediately about human trafficking and to receive guidance, call National Human Trafficking Hotline (24/7) at 1-888-373-7888, text 233733 or TTY 711.

For more information on child trafficking, including resources for parents and caregivers, visit https://love146.org/.

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. It can be hard to know what is going on inside someone's mind, though.

Mental health providers can be found in the Parent Guide to Community Resources or at Psychology Today's Milwaukee directory, or you can consult with your pediatrician or school support staff to help you find local resources.

Milwaukee Public Schools is a part of the School Community Partnership for Mental Health (SCPMH), which embeds mental health providers into some of our schools. Please visit the SCPMH site to learn more!

What is mindfulness? At MPS, we define mindfulness as the "purposeful awareness of our thoughts, emotions, physical feelings, and environment in the present moment, without judgment." Mindfulness is a research-based practice that has shown positive outcomes, including improved academic performance, improved academic task completion, reduction in externalizing behavior, decreased anxiety, increased pro-social behavior, improved self-efficacy, and increased persistence.

For more information and resources, please email mindfulness@milwaukeepublicschools.org.

Second Step is a program published by the Committee for Children. It is a social and emotional learning program for students in pre-K through eighth grade. The goal of the Second Step program is to help students be successful in school. The Second Step program teaches social skills and self-regulation. All MPS K–5 and K–8 schools teach Second Step to all students.

Self-injury or self-harm is any form of hurting oneself on purpose, often as a way to deal with painful emotions. The most commonly known type of self-harm is cutting. Other types of self-harm include:

• Scratching
• Burning
• Hitting or punching oneself
• Picking at existing wounds

Most often, self-harm is done with intent to injure but not kill oneself. Self-harm is dangerous, and both the physical wounds and psychological feelings need to be addressed.

Mental health resources can be found in the Parent Guide to Community Resources or at Psychology Today's Milwaukee directory, or you can consult with your pediatrician or school support staff to help you find local resources.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the way in which all people gain the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve goals, feel and show empathy for others, form and keep good relationships, and make responsible choices.

At MPS, we use the Second Step curriculum to teach kindergarten through eighth-grade students a common set of skills in these areas.

Social and emotional skills are critical to being a good student, citizen, and worker. Having strong SEL skills can reduce the chances of students engaging in risky behaviors. This is best done through teachers, parents, and community members working together.

CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) has identified five sets of skills all students can practice for healthy learning. Click here to learn more about CASEL and the five core competencies.

The Committee for Children has produced a three minute summary of SEL available to watch on YouTube.

For more information about social and emotional learning at MPS, please contact Kimberly Merath, social and emotional learning supervisor, at trateka1@milwaukeepublicschools.org or (414) 438-3593.

When helping a person who is going through a mental health crisis, it is important to look for warning signs of suicide, including the following:

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself
• Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or obtaining a gun
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings

Always seek emergency medical help if a person’s life is in immediate danger. If you have reason to believe someone may be suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911.

For ongoing or additional support, contact the following: 

• Area hospitals 
  • Aurora Psychiatric Hospital — 1220 Dewey Avenue, Wauwatosa (414-454-6600: call for phone intake prior to arrival)
  • Milwaukee County Mental Health  — 9455 W. Watertown Plank Road (414-257-6995)
  • Rogers Memorial — 4600 W. Schroeder Drive, Brown Deer, or 11101 W. Lincoln Avnue, West Allis (1-800-767-4411: call for phone intake prior to arrival)
• Milwaukee County Crisis Line (414-257-7222)
• Children's Mobile Crisis Team (414-257-7621)
• Trevor Project Lifeline — specializing in services to the LGBTQ community (1-866-488-7386)

Traumatic experiences can have a detrimental impact on a child's life, including their functioning in school. It is important for families to be aware of the warning signs of traumatization in their children so that they can intervene early before the experience(s) have a long-lasting effect.

Some examples of traumatic experiences common in childhood include the following:

• House fire
• Being bullied at school
• Witnessing gun violence in one's neighborhood
• Witnessing domestic abuse of a caregiver
• Sudden loss of a parent or close relative
• Incarceration of a parent or close relative
• Substance abuse of a caregiver
• Out-of-home placement (e.g., foster care)
• Physical and/or sexual abuse

Trauma resources available online include:

• Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence – A Guide for Families is a 32-page PDF handout from the Safe Start Center (a federal program) for families that discusses several topics related to trauma and how to respond to best support your child.
• Child Welfare Information Gateway Resources on Trauma for Caregivers and Families is a resource page for families on several topics related to trauma; it includes webinars, PDF handouts, and other resources to support families in caring for a child who has been traumatized.
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Family Resource Page is a resource page for families with definitions and information to empower families with knowledge about trauma and ideas for ways to respond.
• Starr Commonwealth's National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC) Family Resource Page is a resource page for families with a brochure that can be purchased that serves as a guide for how to respond to trauma in children.
• Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc., is an organization of parents with the goal of supporting families that struggle with trauma through healing and advocacy.