Integrating a Continuum of Social, Emotional and Behavioral Supports as the Foundation for Promoting School and Life Success

Presented by MESPA and sponsored by MESPA's Northern and Western Divisions.

Gone are the days when a good school meant simply good instruction and high academic achievement. Today, many youth gain academic knowledge and skills in school, but exit the system lacking the resilience and self-sufficiency to transition successfully into adulthood. Adults who lack resilience and self-sufficiency present multiple challenges to local communities and broader society, including unemployment, dependency on welfare, mental and physical health problems, and ineffective parenting. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the why, what, and how of integrating a continuum of social, emotional, and behavioral supports to promote student wellbeing and engagement in school, as well as set up each student for success in civic, work, and private aspects of adult life. 

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to describe why it is essential to integrate social, emotional, and behavioral supports; discuss evidence-based practices that schools can intentionally implement at each tier of a multi-tiered system of support; and explain how to incrementally implement a continuum of social, emotional, and behavioral supports over time to ensure all students receive what they need to be successful in school and beyond. 

Who can attend this training?
Any MN educator is invited to attend this training for $50 (includes lunch). This training has limited seating. Register soon! 

About the presenter:

Dr. Clay Cook (@ClayCook_phd) is the John and Nancy Peyton Faculty Fellow in Child and Adolescent Wellbeing at the University of Minnesota and Associate Professor in the School Psychology Program. He has extensive research and practical experiences involving the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support to promote children’s mental and behavioral health. He co-founded the School Mental Health Assessment, Research and Training (SMART) Center at the University of Washington and is a core faculty member who helps direct the Institute of Translational Research in Children’s Mental Health at the University of Minnesota. He has received over 8.5 million dollars in external grant funding from multiple agencies and foundations. In addition to his research, he consults with several school systems throughout the US to integrate a continuum of social, emotional, and behavioral supports to enhance student academic and life success.

General information:

• Hotel block: A block of rooms has been reserved at Shooting Star Casino & Hotel for Thursday, March 12. Rooms are $65 under the MESPA Block (typically $99). You need to book your room 10 days before (March 2) to get this rate. Use code #11001 to get this rate. Call 800.453.7827 to reserve your room.