Uniting for Youth Mental Health: Elevating Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Learning in Schools

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and across the nation, educators, students, and families are reflecting on how mental health shapes every corner of school life. At the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA), we believe this is more than a moment—it’s a movement to embed mental health into the heart of education through Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Learning (SEBL).

Above: SSWAA AED, Capella Hauer, with NASW staff at the 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month Reception

Why SEBL Belongs at the Core of School Mental Health

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Learning is not a separate curriculum—it’s a school-wide approach that supports how children relate to others, manage emotions, make decisions, and cope with challenges. Grounded in research, SEBL is a powerful framework to enhance student mental health, improve academic outcomes, and create safer school environments.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) underscores this in its 2025 Mental Health Action Guide, recommending that schools build comprehensive mental health systems. These systems must incorporate evidence-based SEBL practices to be effective and sustainable.

School Social Workers: Leaders in SEBL and Mental Health Integration

School social workers are uniquely positioned to lead this work. With deep expertise in trauma-informed care, behavioral intervention, and family engagement, we connect policy to practice—and bring students’ needs to the forefront.

At SSWAA, we are committed to equipping school social workers with the tools they need to champion SEBL in every school building. Some key resources and action steps include:

 SSWAA Resources to Support  Mental Health and SEBL

1. Re-Charge at the 2025 Summer Symposium

   Join school social workers from across the country for three days of mountain-air wellness sessions, peer connection, and practical strategies you can use the very next week.  June 17-19, Snowbird, UT. Register here! 

2. Advocacy and Policy Action Center

   Mental health thrives when systems support it. SSWAA’s Advocacy Center helps members take action at local, state, and national levels to expand school-based mental health staffing and services. Be sure to check out these important and timely advocacy resources for Mental Health Awareness Month:

   1. Addressing Students' Mental Health Needs

   2. School Social Workers as SEL Leaders

3. Ethical Guidelines and Best Practice Standards

   Our professional standards guide school social workers in delivering developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and ethically sound mental health care in schools.

4. Professional Development and Webinars

   Ongoing learning opportunities help school social workers stay current with evidence-based SEBL programs and emerging youth mental health trends.

5. Current Webinars On-Demand:

   • Collective Care Through Self-Care | 1 CE - $30

   • Regulation & Co-Regulation Strategies for the Classroom | 1 CE - $30

   • Understanding and Improving Emotional And Behavioral Regulation Skills In Children | 2 CEs - $60

   • Resiliency Unmasked: Grief & Trauma in Rural Communities | 1 CE - $30

   • Seven Stages: Providing Treatment in a Mental Health Crisis | 1.5 CEs - $45

6. National Certification (NCSSW)

   The NCSSW designation recognizes school social workers who demonstrate advanced knowledge in integrating mental health and SEBL practices across multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS).

The Path Forward

As the CDC affirms, building supportive systems for mental health is a “whole school, whole community” endeavor. School social workers are not just participants—we are architects of that future. Let’s unite to ignite real change. Visit SSWAA.org to access tools, connect with peers, and continue leading the charge for youth mental health through Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Learning.