Advancing Student and School Staff Emotional Well-Being

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), in partnership with Child Trends (CT) and Mental Health America (MHA), is addressing student and school staff well-being needs during a critical time, when we know that youth mental health continues to be a concern and teacher well-being issues such as morale and burnout are key priorities.

Thanks to funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NACDD, CT, and MHA collaborate with State Education Agencies, State Health Departments, and Local Education Agencies to advance health in schools through training and support for developing, implementing, and evaluating proven policies, practices, and programs focused on the emotional well-being of students and staff. To date, twelve school districts in the following states have participated in this important work:

  • California (CA)
  • Delaware (DE)
  • Nebraska (NE)
  • Mississippi (MS)
  • Missouri (MO)
  • Tennessee (TN)
  • Rhode Island (RI)
  • Washington (WA)

The project is wrapping up the third year of a five-year cooperative agreement, with numerous successes to share:

  • Stronger Collaboration: State and school district teams now engage in more organized, proactive planning and resource sharing.
  • Tailored Technical Assistance: Intensive, individualized technical assistance provided by NACDD has helped restructure state and school district teams and build confidence in supporting local needs.
  • Innovation in Action: From integrating nature into social-emotional well-being efforts to enhancing opportunities to train staff, districts are embracing new interventions to support well-being.
  • Proven Impacts: Measurable benefits include improved attendance, better discipline, and enhanced classroom readiness, proving the value of these well-being initiatives.

In May 2025, the next cohort of states and school districts will be selected to participate in the project for the 2025-2026 school year. Sign up to be informed about opportunities to be involved in this important work to improving school health environments so students and school staff thrive.

Learn more about the organizations leading this work:

  • National Association of Chronic Disease Directors is a national, nonprofit, professional Association that advocates, educates, and provides technical assistance to inform programming and grow chronic disease prevention knowledge, leadership, and capacity among NACDD’s Membership. 
  • Child Trends is the leading research organization in the United States focused solely on improving the lives of children, youth, and families. Child Trends has been committed to designing, conducting, interpreting, and communicating rigorous, high-quality data and research on children, youth, and families’ well-being.
  • Mental Health America is the nation’s leading national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. MHA provides support for individuals with lived experience of mental health conditions through community education, screening and research, and advocacy and public policy. 

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