Addressing Grief in Children

Grieving does not have a timeline, and schools and families should be aware of anniversaries, birthdays, developmental milestones, and other factors that could affect students months or years after the loss. 

Care Solace is a complimentary and confidential care coordination service that can help you quickly find mental health or substance use treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of circumstances.

Specialists are available to help connect you to resources for your mental health and/or substance use needs.

Adversity is a natural part of life. At some point, we all face difficulties, such as family problems, serious illness, widespread disease, a personal crisis, or a painful loss. Being resilient is important when dealing successfully with life’s challenges. 

The Madison Metropolitan School District will not waver in our commitment to providing all students access to an inclusive education that affirms all identities. It is our goal that these resources will improve our efforts to provide safe, healthy and positive school environments for all transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive youth.

Suicide is preventable. Youth who are contemplating suicide frequently give warning signs. Do not be afraid to ask about suicidal thoughts. Never take warning signs lightly or promise to keep them secret. 

Watch "We All Have Mental Health" video. 

This video prompts students to be on the lookout for everyday feelings versus overwhelming feelings, and how to ask for help when you're experiencing overwhelming feelings.

Care Solace is a complimentary and confidential care coordination service that can help you quickly find mental health or substance use treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of circumstances.

Specialists are available to help connect you to resources for your mental health and/or substance use needs.

The Employee Assistance Program provides MMSD Employees and family members with confidential and personal support on important topics that will help you with your well-being, including stress management, nutrition, fitness and daily living.

Mindfulness in MMSD, a part of the MMSD Employee Wellness Program, offers professional development and training to all MMSD staff. 

Find more resources, quick access to documents, and employee well-being benefits on our staff intranet.

Staff Intranet

Fostering positive mental health in students can improve their overall health and improves student learning, attendance, and engagement. 

Behavioral Health in Schools (BHS) seeks to improve well-being among students with mental health concerns. Through a partnership with community-based mental health agencies, BHS enhances the school's existing system of mental health supports.

Bounce Back is a school-based group intervention for elementary students exposed to stressful and traumatic events. Bounce Back teaches students ways to cope with and recover from traumatic experiences.

Building Bridges is a short-term, intensive, crisis-stabilization mental health program offered to any student in elementary or middle school in MMSD. Building Bridges works closely with the family and school team to provide targeted support over a 90 day period.

FACE-Kids is a collaboration of local community agencies supporting students in schools by providing high quality skills-based groups. The ultimate goal of the various groups that FACE-Kids offers is to help strengthen and improve a child’s mental health and wellbeing. 

This program identifies students needing mental health support, connects them to appropriate school or community-based intervention(s), and increases schools’ capacities to support students impacted by stress and trauma.

School Based Health Centers (SBHC) provide physical and behavioral health care directly in MMSD high schools, so all students have the opportunity to learn and grow.

SBIRT offers an efficient, evidence-based, and comprehensive service to address selected behavioral health concerns among adolescents.