This Advisory offers recommendations for supporting the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. While many of these recommendations apply to individuals, the reality is that people have widely varying degrees of control over their circumstances. As a result, not all recommendations will be feasible for everyone.
Local education agencies and individual schools planning for students and staff to return following COVID-19 closures must prioritize efforts to address social and emotional learning and mental and behavioral health needs. Equally important is ensuring staff feel their physical and mental health needs are supported. Districts should ensure all policies or recommendations are culturally sensitive and ensure equity and access for all youth.
This fact sheet shows the effectiveness of school health programs and connectedness strategies in reducing negative health behaviors among youth.
The teen-SPARC Excel tool is designed to help public health jurisdictions and other entities explore the potential impact of behavior change on reducing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among the sexually active high-school-attending adolescent population.
