All 5 Webinars – Digital Site License

All students have a right to participate in and enjoy lunch and recess. Non-academic times of the school day can be significant contributors to student mental and physical health. When students enjoy lunch and recess, have good friends, and perceive school personnel to be supportive, they feel more connected to school which, in turn, enhances academic performance. The aim of this session is to provide detailed information about how to implement the Comfortable Cafeteria (CC) and Refreshing Recess (RR) programs emphasizing inclusive participation, friendship promotion, mealtime conversations, healthy eating, and active play. The goals of these programs are to: 1) Create positive physical, sensory, and social environments (enough time to eat; pleasant conversations; friendship promotion; enjoyable play activities; friendly supervisors); 2) Build capacity of recess & cafeteria supervisors to do their jobs effectively; and 3) Promote healthy eating and active play habits. Success stories of how related service providers (e.g. OT, PT, school counselors, SLPs) collaborate with relevant school personnel in creative ways to implement these programs in urban, suburban, and rural schools will be described. Information needed to implement the programs is free on the Every Moment Counts website and will be reviewed.

Embedding mental health services within a multi-tiered framework requires confident leadership by interdisciplinary school personnel (OTPs, PTs, SLPs, school counselors) who are knowledgeable about health (mental and physical). Legislation (IDEA, ESSA) as it relates to services for students with and without disabilities and/or mental health challenges supports the need to foster participation in activities and interactions throughout the day that promote health. The evolving role of related service providers to address the participation and health needs of all students using multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) will be emphasized. Specifically, school mental health calls for the use of indigenous resources in schools (e.g. providers with knowledge and skills in addressing mental health) such as occupational therapy practitioners and school nurses in addition to traditional mental health providers. Participants will learn practical examples of how to embed activity-based multi-tiered services in schools using integrated, collaborative strategies in natural contexts (academic & non-academic) to promote positive mental health in all students with and without mental health challenges. A range of service delivery approaches will be depicted such as co-teaching in the classroom, small group interventions during lunch and recess, coaching strategies, and environment-focused intervention. Practitioners will provide specific examples of how to implement Every Moment Counts model programs and embedded strategies at the universal, targeted, and intensive levels.

All children and youth have a right to participate in and enjoy healthy hobbies and interests. Participation in out-of-school leisure activities benefits youth socially, emotionally, physically, and academically. Many youth (those with disabilities, mental health challenges, or who live in poverty) face barriers to participation in leisure limiting the development of healthy hobbies/interests.  Learn creative strategies for promoting leisure participation at the individualized (leisure coaching), targeted (small group), and universal (whole school or community) levels. Success stories of the impact of meaningful leisure participation in inclusive school and community settings for youth experiencing leisure deprivation will be shared.

All adults serving youth need to be mental health promoters. Learn how to implement the Calm Moments Cards program aimed at embedding evidence-based strategies (thinking, calming & focusing, & sensory) to reduce stress and enhance emotional well-being during 17 situational stressors (e.g. test taking, transitioning between classes). Feeling stressed and anxious can lead to restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability and may negatively impact academic and social participation. Examples of how to use the strategies to promote successful participation throughout the school day will be provided (e.g. positive affirmations, coloring mandalas, movement poses, deep breathing).  Outcomes of a mixed methods design studying the benefits of the Calm Moments Cards program will be shared. All of the Calm Moments Cards are free to download on the Every Moment Counts website.

Small moments can make a big difference in how children feel and function. This webinar provides foundation information that guides the implementation of all aspects of Every Moment Counts. Participants will learn about positive mental health and how to apply a multi-tiered approach to mental health involving universal promotion, targeted prevention, and individualized intervention. Practical examples of how to embed evidence-based mental health promotion strategies throughout the day (classroom, lunch, recess, after-school) will be provided. Also included is a brief review of the model programs (Comfortable Cafeteria, Refreshing Recess, Calm Moment Cards, Making Leisure Matter), website resources, and how to build capacity of interdisciplinary teams to do this work. This is the first of a 5-part series on the Every Moment Counts’ initiative.