Mental Health
Mental Health Overview
Emotional health and wellness is an important part of a person’s quality of life. Mental health can change how we think, feel and act in life. It also helps us deal with stress, build friendships with people, and make good choices. People who have problems with mental health may experience changes in mood, behavior, and physical wellness. Mental health professionals help people to improve emotional health and wellness by using positive supports. Some positive supports are used to help people who are having problems with mental health. Other positive supports prevent mental health problems. These supports teach new skills to increase emotional and social health in all people within a community setting. Families, schools, and organizations can work together with mental health professionals to make sure that everyone can access positive supports that improve quality of life and mental health.
Stories Across the Lifespan
The stories on this page describe how positive supports can be used to support people with their mental health across a variety of settings.
- Mental Health Organizational Example – Implementing Person-Centered Practices and Positive Behavior Support. (pdf)
- School age collaboration The power of embedding school linked mental health services into a school-wide system of PBIS through collaboration (pdf)
- Person-Centered Practices and Mental Health (external web page)
- MN School-Linked Mental Health and PBIS (external web page)
- Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Needs (pdf)
- Assertive Community Treatment: Jose (MNPSP web page)
- Assertive Community Treatment: Melissa (MNPSP web page)
- Positive Behavior Support and School-Linked Mental Health: Sun County School District (MNPSP web page)
- Rebuilding For Learning (MNPSP web page)
- Trauma Informed Approaches and Mental Health: TAMAR, EMDR, STAIR (MNPSP web page)
Positive Support Strategies for Mental Health
Below are some articles designed to provide important background information about topics that are relevant across lifespans and settings.
- Applied Behavior Analysis in Practice – ABA is focused on better understanding how different variables impact an individual’s behavior.
- Assertive Community Treatment History – A group of mental health professionals reviewed the mental health system to determine strategies to help people remain in their communities.
- Person-Centered Planning and Promoting Quality of Life – One way to think about person-centered practices from a systems perspective is to use a Three-Tiered Model of Positive Supports.
- PBS and Preventing Problem Behavior Using the Three-Tiered System – Considering larger organizational issues can be a helpful way to create a positive climate and prevent challenging behavior.
- Positive Behavior Support and Individualized Planning – The first step in an individualized positive behavior support process at Tier 3 is to set up a person-centered plan.
- Trauma Informed Approaches and Three-Tiered Systems of Positive Support – Trauma informed care approaches are implemented across education and human service organizations.
- Relationship Between Applied Behavior Analysis and Positive Behavior Support – Understand the history and current relationship between Applied Behavior Analysis and Positive Behavior Support
- Elements of School-Linked Services – Schools are a natural place for students to receive mental health support due to the extensive amount of time they spend in educational settings.