Mental Health Assistance Team (MHAT) & Signs of Suicide (S.O.S.) Program
The Bellevue School District is responding to students' mental health needs with a comprehensive, evidence-based initiative to address depression, anxiety and stress in the student population.
Staff have been trained and have begun to implement the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program and have developed Mental Health Assistance Teams (MHAT).
SIGNS OF SUICIDE (SOS) is a school-wide, evidence-based suicide prevention program that consists of a curriculum and evaluation tools. The goal of the program is to decrease suicide and suicide attempts by increasing knowledge and changing attitudes about depression, mental health, and suicide.
In 2022-2023 school year, Bellevue school counselors provided mental health screenings for 7,108 students. 29% of middle and high school students reported anxiety or depressive symptoms and 17% reported ideas of self-harm. Counselors worked with over 90 students to develop safety plans, and over 551 students received therapy with a counselor. Students’ progress was monitored to make course corrections and to determine if the intervention was successful. 95% of students reported an increase in coping skills.
Check out our Education Connections recording about MHAT and SOS:
Click here to view the recording from November 8, 2022.
Click here to view the recording from November 3, 2021.
See our KOMO 4 News interview from December 2021.
Learn about our mental health program in this short video.
Hear one student’s inspiring story.
This year students are reporting greater mental health concerns than ever before:
Increases in dysfunctional sleep, eating, exercise schedules
Feelings of being invisible and lonely
Relying on online relationships for social interaction, even though these relationships are not always safe or healthy.
Sharing families' economic concerns
Sharing significant anxiety and stress about contracting Covid-19 themselves, but more acutely of affecting loved ones at higher risk
Expressing familial strife between parents and kids
Having intense reactions to the protests, looting, election demonstrations/protests.
The SOS Program
Evaluates students for suicidal ideation and risk factors.
Provides support to identified students, including consultations with the school counselor, solution-focused counseling, and/or referrals to community mental health providers.
Encourages students to individually seek help or treatment.
Helps students recognize signals and risk factors in their peers to bring concerns to supportive adults.
Trains staff, parents, and community members in the program’s objectives and prevention efforts.
Reduces the stigma of mental illness.
The MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE TEAM (MHAT) identifies students with mental health needs and expands access to evidence-based services, delivered by highly trained and skilled BSD staff including mental health professionals.
The team evaluates students using a validated universal evaluation tool that includes important indicators of student well-being (absences, grades, discipline referrals, etc.). The MHAT aims to increase use of mental health evidence-based practices among Bellevue School District’s school counselors, social workers, and psychologists.
