Last week was challenging, to say the least. The relief many felt at the guilty verdicts of Derek Chauvin was quickly met with heartbreak at another police killing of an young Black girl, Ma'Khia Bryant.

The events of last week are embedded in the larger context of national crises involving gun violence, racism, and policing. 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 20-year-old Daunte Wright were both killed by police in recent weeks. An influx of mass shootings has accompanied state re-opening efforts, with 50 mass shootings in the US between March 16 and April 20.

Students, teachers, families, and communities are all grappling with these traumatic incidents. Many are grieving, mourning, angry, and scared. Everyone needs some extra care and support.

The NCSMH regularly updates our Cultural Responsiveness & Equity page with resources to support schools in anti-racist and culturally-responsive education and action. Further resources are below:

• Education Week - 16 Resources on Talking to Students About Police Killings and Racism

• Education Week - Discussing the Derek Chauvin Trial in Class

• Learning for Justice - Toolkit for Talking About Racism and Police Violence with Students

• Learning for Justice - What White Colleagues Need to Understand

• National Center for Safe Supportive Schools - Addressing the Trauma of Racism

At the NCSMH, we are working toward systems-level change across a variety of domains at community, local, state, and nation levels. NCSMH faculty regularly participate in key meetings for promoting systems-level change that prioritizes social justice and equity. We are preparing to disseminate a nationwide school mental health policy map. Through our partnerships with the Mental Health Technology Transfer Centers (MHTTCs), we host webinars and trainings that highlight culturally-responsive and anti-racist best practices. Additionally, in our work with the National Center for Safe Supportive Schools (NCS3), we provide training and implementation supports that promote Culturally-responsive Anti-Racist and Equitable (CARE) practices for educators, clinicians, and school and district leaders. The CARE work of the NCS3 also includes revisions to the School Mental Health Quality Assessment that intentionally integrate CARE principles and practices. These revisions will allow schools, districts, and states to examine and incorporate CARE principles and practices into their comprehensive school mental health systems.

In addition to taking care of ourselves and each other, we must advocate for systems-level changes that prevent traumatic and distressing events. There are direct connections between social injustices and the well-being and academic success of students. We are committed to learning, healing, and growing together.

-The NCSMH team