SCHOOL NURSES: Best Practices for Proactive Behavioral Health Services

Presented by Wendy Niskanen
Outstanding School Nurse and Presenter

Specifically Designed for School Nurses, District Nurses and School Health Services Coordinators Serving Students in Grades K-12

Be better prepared to proactively support the behavioral health needs in your schools … Proven ways to address the key factors that impact behavioral health including trauma, chronic stress and social determinants of health
Effective strategies for mitigating the lingering impact of COVID-19 on behavioral health as students and staff have returned to schools
Practical methods for promoting physical health by recognizing and managing somatic concerns connected with behavioral health
Proven interventions for supporting the mental and emotional well-being of all students through the school nurse role on 504, IEP and behavioral health teams

Practical Strategies

If you are looking for the most up-to-date practices to better support the behavioral health of your students, this is a seminar you won't want to miss! During this intensive seminar, outstanding school nurse and experienced nurse educator WENDY NISKANEN will share dozens of the most up-to-date practices, evidence-based strategies and practical tips to help school nurses better support student behavioral health in the school setting. As an experienced school nurse, Wendy knows firsthand the seriousness of the daily behavioral health challenges in schools today. Your ever-changing role as a school nurse will be viewed from the perspective of how you can best support students' behavioral health and remove barriers to learning in your school setting. Gain greater confidence in your practice and discover new and innovative strategies that will make your daily interventions more effective. You will leave this seminar renewed professionally, equipped with proven strategies and resources to better support the behavioral health of your students and yourself. The evidence-based strategies and tools you'll gain will give you the increased knowledge and confidence you need to proactively support the behavioral health needs in your schools.

Ten Key Benefits of Attending

Support Students' Behavioral Well-Being and Provide Trauma Informed Care
Discover how to promote trauma sensitivity in your school's culture and make your health room space more conducive to supporting behavioral health and wellness
Increase Your Understanding of the Impact of Trauma and Chronic Stress on Brain Development and Behavior
Increase your understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences and their physiological impacts on brain development that result in behavioral health challenges including sensory issues and emotional dysregulation
Address the Unique Behavioral Effects of COVID-19 on Students and Educators
Learn effective strategies for mitigating behavioral health impacts of the pandemic
Understand the Role Social Determinants Play in Behavioral Health
Examine social determinants of health, including poverty, and their impact on both the risk for poor behavioral health outcomes and inequity in access to services
More Effectively Manage Physiological Manifestations of Behavioral Health Concerns
Understand how migraine, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (stomachache, nausea and diarrhea), chronic pain, and many other somatic concerns relate to anxiety, depression, school stress, and trauma and are often the cause of repeated health room visits and chronic absenteeism
Update Your Understanding of the Pharmacological Supports for Behavioral Health in the School Setting
Get the most up-to-date information on the recommended uses and side effects of the most common behavioral health medications seen in schools … Learn how to better support families as they navigate a complex behavioral health system
Build Resilience and Behavioral Skills for Your Students
Integrate evidence-base strategies into your practice that build students' social-emotional skills and resilience
Recognize the Essential Role of the School Nurse in Advocating for Behavioral Health Supports in the Classroom
Help students overcome barriers to behavioral health by exploring appropriate accommodations for 504, IEP and behavioral health plans
Build a More Collaborative Relationship with Your integrated School Health Team
Behavioral health is not only the domain of school counselors, social workers and psychologists … Increase the effectiveness of partnerships between the school nurse and other behavioral health providers in and outside the school setting
Receive a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Digital Resource Handbook
You'll receive a comprehensive behavioral health digital resource handbook packed with dozens of resources designed specifically for school nurses

Outstanding Strategies You Can Use Immediately

Proven strategies and practices to better support students' behavioral health
The significant impact of trauma on behavioral health and proactive strategies for addressing it in the school setting
Ways to more effectively recognize and manage somatic conditions of students in the school setting
How school nurses can address the lasting impact of COVID-19 on students' behavioral health
The most-up-to-date information on the side effects and risks of common behavioral health medications
Proven strategies for better supporting families in navigating the behavioral health system
How chronic stress impacts cognitive development and student learning
Effective strategies for building more collaborative partnerships with behavioral health providers in schools and the community
How to support students' wellness using mindfulness, gentle movement, breathing exercises, and guided meditations for self-care
Targeted supports for students who grapple with substance abuse, addiction and those who self-identify in the LBGTQ+ population
Proven strategies to help students overcome personal trauma and be more successful in school
Effective accommodations that support students with behavioral health challenges in the classroom

A Message from Your Seminar Leader

Dear Colleague:

As a fellow school nurse, I recognize the unique rewards and challenges of our nursing specialty. We cherish those moments when we connect with a student or family in a way that makes their experience with school and life more positive, and yet we often cannot prioritize behavioral health until it becomes an emergency. Most often, our care management is focused on the day-to-day management of chronic physical conditions, and we do not have the bandwidth to develop the behavioral health aspect of our practices.

Students with behavioral health issues come to the health room, often repeatedly, with complaints that arise from anxiety, depression, school stress, and trauma, and we are uniquely positioned to support their behavioral health journey. I invite you to join me in this seminar as we explore the multiple ways we can better support our students, helping them overcome behavioral health barriers to their education and develop skills that will keep them well for a lifetime.

Mental health first aid is essential, but it is not enough. School nurses have the opportunity to proactively address students' behavioral health. My goal is that after attending this seminar, you will have the knowledge to:

Identify the key factors that impact students' behavioral health
Build stronger partnerships among school, families and providers to address concerns and implement behavioral health plans of care
More effectively manage the physical impacts of behavioral health
Help students develop the resilience and skills needed to engage successfully in school
Remove behavioral health barriers to learning through your roles on 504, IEP and behavior teams

These strategies have never been more important than they are now as result of COVID-19. The behavioral health impacts of school closures and the resulting isolation, combined with the challenges of remote learning, have caused students and their families to suffer.

I look forward to exploring these topics with you in this engaging, collaborative seminar.

Sincerely,
Wendy Niskanen

P.S. I know how valuable your time is, so I will focus on the most useful strategies to support your practice. You will receive a comprehensive behavioral health digital resource handbook containing a summary of all the information and resources presented in this seminar to support your practice moving forward.

Who Should Attend

School Nurses, District Nurses and School Health Services Coordinators Serving Students in Grades K-12

Special Benefits of Attending

Extensive Resource Handbook
You will receive an extensive digital resource handbook specifically designed for this seminar. The handbook includes:

Best practices and evidence-based strategies for proactively supporting behavioral health in the school setting
Valuable behavioral health resources including websites, references, and organizations
The most-up-to-date recommendations on pharmacological supports for behavioral health in the school setting

For in-person seminars, registrants will also receive a printed copy of the resource handbook as long as their registration is received in the BER office at least 15 calendar days before the event.

Share Ideas with Other Educators
This seminar provides a wonderful opportunity for participants to meet and share ideas with other school nurses interested in enhancing their practice.

Consultation Available
Wendy Niskanen will be available at the seminar for consultation regarding your questions and the unique needs of your own nursing program.

On-Site Training Guarantee

BER is not a booking agency that just finds a presenter who presents on the topic you requested. Rather, we only recommend highly experienced BER presenters who have consistently received outstanding evaluations from educators attending their trainings.

Consequently, we provide a strong program guarantee.

We guarantee you'll be fully satisfied or you'll owe us nothing after your on-site training event.