MASSACHUSETTS: Students Often Struggle After a Mental Health Crisis. Can This Support System Help?
March 27, 2020
A successful program for helping students re-enter school after absences for mental health care has been implemented in 137 Massachusetts schools and is now being rolled out in other states. Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT) was started by the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health, which helps school districts plan and implement the program staffed by school personnel. Many of the students supported by the program come from psychiatric hospitalization, while others have missed a lot of school due to a mental health condition. The program provides a short-term reintegration plan that includes emotional and academic support and coordination of mental health care and academics. Students spend some time each day in a BRYT classroom where they can talk with counselors, get help with homework, or just rest and relax. In addition to helping students reintegrate, BRYT has a record of significantly increasing attendance and graduation rates.
Spark Extra! Learn more about suicide prevention in schools.