Michelle Grover - Mental Health in Schools Project Coordinator
Michelle Grover is the Mental Health in Schools Project Coordinator and Year 2 teacher at Ocean Road Primary School, located an hour south of Perth, on Bindjareb Noongar Country in Western Australia.
The mental health and wellbeing of its 626 students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds is at the centre of the school's core values.
Michelle recently shared with the Be You team what early support means to her, and some of the steps her learning community is taking to improve the mental health and wellbeing of students and staff.
What does early support mean to you as a teacher and wellbeing leader?
Building a solid foundation for student mental health and wellbeing starts from enrolment. Early support means being able to identify when a student may need some extra help. Our role as educators isn't about diagnosing a mental health condition; however, by noticing the early signs, we can inquire about the concern and provide support.
What does early support look like within your learning community?
We have adopted a whole-school approach in implementing the Notice, Inquire and Provide (NIP) model. The school executive and student support team are a part of the strategic support provided to students with diverse needs.
We support staff in using the Be You BETLS Observation Tool, a template for gathering information and recording observations when noticing changes in a student's behaviour. This tool allows staff to inquire about how a student is doing and, if necessary, provide pathways for further support.
We prioritise early intervention using the Be You 'NIP' approach. Following this framework, we can support students before their problems become too overwhelming.
How do you build the capacity of your team?
We encourage staff to register for Be You to access professional learning modules and resources. We urge educators to complete one module a term and we regularly share important themes and insights with staff throughout the year.
What support does your Be You Consultant provide?
Our Be You Consultant has been a valuable resource and trusted partner in keeping us on track, as we embark on our journey towards improved mental health and wellbeing. With their experience collaborating with many schools, we have come to understand that we are not alone.
Consultants bring their knowledgeable insights to current trends and provide practical strategies to address the needs of staff and students.
Michelle's tips for supporting student mental health and wellbeing:
- Learn to identify early signs that a student needs extra support. Focus on underlying needs and acknowledge that behaviours are a sign that a student may be struggling to cope.
- Maintain predictable routines and establish an accessible calm zone to create a nurturing, inclusive classroom environment that caters to all students.
- Establish a help-seeking environment to support students and promote staff wellbeing.
- Build positive and strong relationships with students and their families to create a sense of connection and belonging.
- Support staff to build their mental health literacy by incorporating reflective practices into their daily routine.
- Encourage staff to register for Be You.
- Embed mental health and wellbeing strategies across all class activities, allowing students to build their knowledge and tools for addressing current or future challenges.
In support of the work Michelle and her colleagues are doing, the school's principal, Dean Finlay, recognised and supported the need to promote and implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, registering for Be You in 2019.
Incorporating the Be You framework, Mr Finlay also saw the value in establishing connections with local agencies and mental health support services to provide better referral pathways for students.
Michelle acknowledges these connections are key, as access to support services can be challenging due to the school's location, which compels the school to establish its community's holistic wellbeing approach.
"We aim to promote opportunities for our students to develop their mental health knowledge, skills and competencies."
Over the last two years, Michelle has led the implementation of the Be You framework to complement Ocean Road's whole-school, proactive, trauma-informed approach to promoting positive mental health.
Early support is a key focus, with the school acknowledging that early intervention can build resilience, promote and normalise a help-seeking culture, and provide students with a more supportive learning environment.
Introducing daily check-in circles with students, follow-up sessions with staff, regular mental health and wellbeing tips in school newsletters and calm zones, have all contributed to building a positive, inclusive, and responsive learning community.
Reflection Questions
- What does early support look like in your learning community?
- How does your learning community support staff to notice changes in behaviours?
- How does your learning community inquire to find out more information?
- Does your learning community have connections to services providers to support access to help-seeking pathways?
- Do staff in your learning community understand their role in early support?
Learn more about identifying early support.
Not sure where to start? Be You consultants support all Australian learning communities. Contact us.
Resources:
Early Support
Supporting neurodiversity and disability inclusion in school communities
Educator Wellbeing Guide
BETLS Observation Tool
Mental Health Continuum