Behavioral Health in Education:
Resources and Opportunities (B-HERO) Technical Assistance Center
Mission
To engage K-12 Behavioral Health Resource Coordinators in training, technical assistance, and opportunities to facilitate connections.  
Vision
All school personnel will develop the knowledge and skills to support the health and wellbeing of every student and family. 
The Joys of Educating

There is a reason school personnel choose careers in the field of education. The work is constant, often thankless, and many school personnel tend to take on the burdens of their students and school communities as if they are their own. However, at the end of the day, working with students and making a difference in their lives is the most rewarding thing school personnel do, and working in education really is a joy! 

Each school year brings its own set of challenges as school personnel and school systems work in tandem to serve their students to the best of their ability, and some years come with more challenges than others. But schools exist because of students, and school personnel fill their roles to help their students grow and learn. Students impact the educational work and bring forth some of the biggest joys that school personnel experience. 
 
Melissa Stanley, Minot Public School’s Professional Development Coordinator and new teacher guide, has a story of the Joys of Educating to share. You don’t want to miss this one! 
 
To submit your own story of the joys of educating, use our Flipgrid link here!
This Is Why We Do It
Student-Centered Focus 
As Melissa’s video shows, sometimes educators have days where their students seem to run the school or classroom, rather than the other way around. Accordingly, the negative behaviors students exhibit usually stem from somewhere, and acting out is often a way that students seek attention when their needs for care and attention are not being met in their lives outside of school. 
 
When students are unsure how to respond to trauma or personal or family crises, behavioral health struggles arise. As school staff, we can encourage all of our students to look out for one another when risk factors arise and warning signs appear in advance of a behavioral health crisis. Working with students to help them understand their struggling peers can help expand the safety net of trusted and caring individuals throughout all school communities. 
 
Risk factors and warning signs are directly related, so introducing these to students in tandem, along with some exercises to promote conversation and unity, can be a great way to engage in positive relationship building and de-stigmatizing together. We at B-HERO have compiled a resource for school staff at the secondary level to do just that!  
 
Check out our “Risk Factors and Warnings Signs: Start the Conversation” Guide for Secondary School Staff linked below for activities, information, and more. Stay tuned for next week’s Elementary version! 
Events
UPCOMING:

March 22nd and 24th, 6:30 – 8pm CDT

Student Support Groups
Project Renew has created a safe space for students in grades 6 – 8 and
9 – 11 to share their struggles and successes in an online platform, where Project Renew will facilitate discussions and provide helpful, uplifting messages of hope for the future and coping skills to help students in the meantime. This series runs weekly until April 7th with 6-8th graders on Monday and 9-11th graders on Wednesday nights; for event registration for 6-8th graders, click here. For event registration for 9-11th graders, click here.
Grades 6 - 8
Monday Evenings 6:30 - 8PM
Grades 9 - 11
Wednesday Evenings 6:30 - 8PM
PAST:

March 10th, 12:30 – 1pm CDT 

Mental Health Minute
Mental Health Minute is a brief, mid-week series on mental wellness provided by Project Renew. Last week’s Minute was focused on self-care, with a message from Terri Sonsthagen Burns discussing why we often struggle with self-care, some myths about self-care regimes, and suggestions for incorporating self-care into one’s everyday routine. Links to this Mental Health Minute are coming soon!  
Ready - Set - Share!
If you are no longer serving in the role of the Behavioral Health Resource Coordinator, know the name/email of the educator who is serving as the BHRC, or have transitioned to another school since Spring of 2019, please inform Melissa Spelchen via email at melissa.spelchen@k12.nd.us at your earliest convenience. 
 
Project Renew provides FREE & anonymous support services.
Call 701-223-1510 to talk with a trained counselor.