Mental Health in Schools
We believe mental wellness is an essential part of learning: students can’t thrive in the classroom if they're struggling outside of it.
​
​CPLAN helps families build a clearer understanding of mental wellness: what it is, why it matters, and how it shows up in daily life.​ The Reshaping Community Wellness Initiative is part of our commitment to creating schools where equity not only lives in policy, but in everyday relationships, communication, and care in school communities.
What is mental wellness?
Mental wellness is what helps us stay connected, resilient, and ready to handle life’s challenges. For us, mental wellness means having the emotional support, self-awareness, and skills to show up for ourselves and each other: at home, at school, and in our communities.
We know families carry so much: Parents are raising children while navigating systems that don’t always feel made for them. Schools are stretched thin. And young people today are growing up in a world that feels uncertain. That’s why our work focuses on healing relationships, strengthening communication, and creating spaces where both youth and caregivers can feel seen, supported, and equipped to have honest conversations.​
Why does it matter?
Helping Families and Schools Support Each Other
Wellness Starts at Home
Families are their children’s first line of support. But many haven’t been given the tools, language, or space to talk about mental wellness, or to care for their own.
It's a Prerequisite for Learning
When children carry stress, trauma, or instability, it shows up in classrooms, affecting their focus, behavior, relationships, and success in schools. Chronic absenteeism, behavioral challenges, discipline issues, and disengagement are often caused by unmet emotional needs.
When Families Are Left Out, Inequity Grows
Unaddressed emotional needs widen gaps. In many communities, stress and emotional struggles are misunderstood or go unspoken, not because families don't care, but because systems haven’t made wellness feel safe, accessible, or relevant.​​​
Relationships Are the Real Curriculum
The most powerful learning happens in environments built on trust. When families, educators, and students feel connected and respected, relationships are rebuilt and it restores a sense of belonging.
Wellness Helps Everyone Thrive
When schools center wellness, they reduce harm, uplift student voice, and create environments where everyone- students, parents, and staff- feels safe, supported and ready to learn.
Reshaping Community Wellness Initiative
Offered both online and in person, Reshaping Community Wellness supports families and educators in creating environments where children feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. This innovative, interactive training series empowers school communities with practical tools to integrate mental wellness into homes, schools, and neighborhoods.
​​
Designed to be culturally responsive and accessible, the program is offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Kreyol, ensuring more communities can engage in meaningful conversations around healing, resilience, and social-emotional well-being.
​
We are proud to partner with Dr. Gayl Crump Swaby, a CPLAN founding member and mental health expert, who facilitates this initiative with deep care, knowledge, and cultural humility. Through her work with CPLAN, Dr. Gayl Crump Swaby helps build more connected, trauma-informed school communities.​​
What Makes Our Program Family-Centered
Curriculum: Reshaping Community Wellness
Working in cohorts, Dr. Crump Swaby collaborates with school community members, including students, parents/caregivers, and school staff, to strengthen the culture and climate of each school. Each session centers on real-life challenges families face, and offers practical tools rooted in emotional intelligence, community building, and equity. Topics include:
Session 1: Introduction to Mental Wellness
Trust and community building as a foundation for healing
Session 2–3: Beyond the Stigma
Breaking down myths about mental healthcare and how systems have excluded families of color
Session 4–5: Emotional Intelligence
Tools for understanding and managing our emotions, and supporting others in our families and communities
Session 6: Reimagining Our World
Shifting how we think about mental health, identifying resources, and knowing when and how to seek professional support
