Behavioral Health in Education Resources and Opportunities Technical Assistance Center (B-HERO)

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.

WHAT HELPS US!  Demands on school personnel are real—this school year, more than ever. Between managing multiple learning platforms, cleaning between bells, and facilitating instruction in socially distanced spaces, school personnel are experiencing stress. B-HERO aims to elevate what helps school personnel manage stress by highlighting stories created by school personnel for school personnel.

Here’s Kristi Reinke, North Dakota’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, to share what helps her manage school stress.

SECURE YOUR OWN MASK FIRST!  STRESS MANAGEMENT  STRATEGY FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL  Practicing gratitude can be a simple route to a greater sense of emotional well-being.    It can be as simple as taking one minute to pause, think of someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thanking them.    Find more tips on practicing gratitude here: https://www.behavioralhealth.nd.gov/helpishere/takecare  FAMILY SUPPORT STRATEGY  Caregivers play a key role in helping create calm among their children.    School personnel can help caregivers understand that when children are showing signs of anxiety, caring adults can respond to create calm by asking them to name five things they can sense – touch, hear, taste, smell, and see.  Find more tips on creating calm here: http://www.parentslead.org/sites/default/files/CreatingCalm.pdf.

Parents Lead is an evidence-based prevention program providing parents and caregivers with supports for creating safe environments for children that promote behavioral health. It was developed with collaboration from the ND Department of Human Services, ND Department of Transportation, and the ND University System. For more information, visit parentslead.org.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESOURCE COORDINATOR TIPS & TRICKS  In ND, the Behavioral Health Resource Coordinator (BHRC) is typically a role, rather than a specific position. BHRCs are passionate school personnel who invest in their school community by ensuring that behavioral health resources and opportunities are received, reviewed, and disseminated to those who need them most, including, but not limited to, fellow school personnel, leadership, families and/or students.     You are not alone! Every school in ND has a BHRC. B-HERO serves as a connection to your BHRC peers across ND.     Other terms for Behavioral Health Resource Coordinators:  Connector  Liaison  Filter  Main Contact  Point Person  Link  Exchange  AWESOME!     Ready – Set – Share!

Project Renew provides FREE & anonymous support services. Call 701-223-1510 to talk with a trained counselor.  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.    The Behavioral Health in Education Resources and Opportunities Technical Assistance Center is a collaboration between the North Dakota Department of Human Services: Behavioral Health Division and the Central Regional Education Association.