Social-Emotional Learning as a Strategy for High School-Based Mental Health Promotion

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical time for public health promotion efforts. Adolescents experience great physical, social, and emotional changes, which places them at an increased mental and behavioral health risk (Heyes and Hiu, 2015). There has been a growing focus on universal mental health supports in schools. School-based mental health promotion efforts vary greatly across the United States due to differences in policy, funding, and support for programs, and there is only fragmentary evidence about the success of different approaches. Social emotional learning (SEL) has become an increasingly popular universal school-based mental health promotion approach that builds cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies to support student mental health and well-being (Durlak et. al., 2011, p. 406). The promotion of social and emotional learning supports aspects of mental health through the provision of related skills and the enhancement of environmental contexts that promote the health, academic, social, and emotional success of learners (CASEL, 2008, p.1). School districts play an important role in social emotional learning, as they often set the policies and guidelines for the design and implementation of SEL programming. This paper will use Chicago Public Schools (CPS) as a case study of how school districts can support social emotional learning. Using a qualitative analysis method based on thetriangulation of multiple information sources, CPS policies and programs will be described and evaluated. This study examines whether a coordinated, integrated approach like the one CPS employs can be a successful model for other school districts. This case study will highlight best practices and demonstrate how social-emotional learning can be strengthened through policy and program changes at the district level.

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