Teachers see it every day: the student who can’t focus after a rough night at home, the freshman who’s suddenly withdrawn, the classroom that struggles to settle after a hard week. You want to help, but you’re not a therapist, and your staff already have a full plate. 

That’s where the School-Based Behavioral Health Liaison comes in. 

The SBBHL works alongside your teachers and administration to build trauma-informed practices and mental health awareness directly into your school’s existing systems. No overhauling your schedule. No pulling staff away from teaching to become mental health experts. Just a dedicated professional who becomes part of your school community, offering teacher consultations, family and youth engagement, needs assessments, brief skill-building, classroom support, and attendance at school meetings and IEPs. 

For students who need more, the SBBHL also provides individual, family, and group therapy sessions right on campus. 

What Your School Gets 

The SBBHL delivers hands-on training for your staff and students on the topics that matter most in classrooms today: Building Strong Brains and ACEs, trauma-informed techniques, stress management, substance abuse prevention, and understanding childhood mental health. 

Just as importantly, the SBBHL helps identify students who are currently experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, trauma-related stress, connecting them with coping skills and therapy before a struggle turns into a crisis. 

A Tiered Model Built Around Your Needs 

Tier 1: Whole-School Foundation 

Staff Training 

• Nature of Childhood Mental Health 

• ACEs 

• Trauma-Informed Techniques 

• Stress Management 

• Substance Abuse Prevention 

• Custom topics based on principal or director request 

One mandatory in-person training reaches 80% of teachers and staff, shaped by a needs assessment and your leadership’s input. 

School-Wide Activities 

• A required annual school climate activity (Kindness Day, Red Ribbon Week, and similar events) 

• Classroom presentations 

• Discipline referral tracking, aimed at reducing referrals over time 

• Family and youth engagement events (back-to-school night, food drives, fall festivals) 

• General universal support, including occasional help like proctoring 

• Teacher consultations and classroom observation 

• Participation in school meetings and IEPs as needed 

Tier 2: Targeted Group Support 

Psychoeducational Groups
Three groups per year, reaching at least 10% of your student body, covering: 

• Mental health topics like anxiety 

• Substance abuse awareness (including vaping) 

• Stress management and coping skills 

• Bullying prevention 

Skill Building
Brief, practical sessions on anger management, emotional regulation, grief, test anxiety, and more. 

Tier 3: Clinical Support (when staffed by a Master’s-level clinician) 

• Diagnostic interviews 

• Individual therapy sessions 

• Group therapy sessions 

• Family therapy sessions 

• Referrals to community-based services 

Why It Works 

The SBBHL model meets students where they already are, in the classroom and the hallway, rather than waiting for a crisis to force a referral. It gives your teachers a real partner for the behavioral challenges they’re not trained to handle alone, and it gives your students a trusted adult on campus who understands mental health. 

This program is delivered in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services.