5th Annual RC SELPA Mental Health Symposium: Mental Health Matters

The presenter will share hands-on interventions to address social and emotional needs for children at the elementary level. The presentation is targeted at ERMHS therapist working with elementary students.

Participants will come away with enhanced understanding of age-appropriate interventions for emotional regulation.

Equip educators and parents with trauma-informed strategies to support neurodivergent children and teens with emotional dysregulation. Learn actionable tools to reduce behavioral challenges, build resilience, and create safe, nurturing environments that promote self-regulation and emotional growth.

1. Provide trauma-informed approaches to address emotional dysregulation in neurodivergent students.
2. Equip participants with practical tools and techniques to reduce behavioral challenges while fostering emotional resilience.
3. Enhance collaboration between parents and educators to create consistent and supportive environments for neurodivergent students.
4. Empower participants to shift from managing behaviors reactively to proactively building environments that nurture growth and emotional regulation.

Desert Center Unified, a single-school district in Riverside County, California, has implemented a therapy dog program. This endeavor is now completing its second year, and we are seeing a significant positive impact on our elementary students. The initiative has enhanced emotional well-being, improved student engagement, and supported social development, creating a safe and nurturing environment for learning and growth.

Through this session, we aim to share the positive impact of our therapy dog program, providing participants with practical insights on how to implement similar initiatives in their own districts. Our desired outcomes include increasing awareness of the benefits of therapy animals in education, offering strategies for successful implementation, and inspiring educators and administrators to prioritize student mental health and well-being.