Name: Staff First, Students Always: A Whole-School Approach to Routines, Relationships, & Responsive Mental Health Support
Start: 2026-09-11T08:00:00-0700
End: 2026-09-11T09:00:00-0700

Staff First, Students Always: A Whole-School Approach to Routines, Relationships, & Responsive Mental Health Support

Friday September 11, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

33 A

Most mental health support systems are designed from the student up. But sustainable, proactive support requires starting with the adults who make belonging possible.

At Scholarship Prep, staff wellness and community come first, and inform the culture of belonging for students. "Tier 0" efforts aimed at adult wellness and structured time for community building strengthen the capacity for truly universal Tier 1 support and actionable pathways to proactively addressing Tier 2 & 3 needs.

This session will unpack the development and impact of Scholarship Prep's Community Meeting toolkit, including: threshold greetings, daily SEL time, classroom resource centers, a weekly universal screener, intentional community partnerships, and designated support for staff.

We'll ground the session in learning science on adult wellness and trusting student-adult relationships as drivers of student outcomes. Scholarship Prep leaders will share the journey behind their Community Meeting model and its impact on more accurate and earlier identification of student needs. Participants will experience elements of the toolkit firsthand through roleplay activities before collaborating to design their own community meeting structure, including how to connect screener data to an action plan for support.

Attendees will leave with an actionable starting point for whole-school mental health support that starts with staff and reaches every student.

Speakers

Alisha Rodriguez

School Counselor, Scholarship Prep

Ms. Alisha Rodriguez is a highly motivated school counselor and 504 Site Coordinator with over six years of experience in education. As a dedicated student advocate and lifelong learner, she is committed to supporting the academic, social-emotional, and personal growth of all students... Read More →

Dr. Zaia Vera

Executive of District Partnerships and Impact, Sown To Grow

Staff First, Students Always A Whole School Approach to Routines, Relationships, & Responsive Mental Health Support pdf

Friday September 11, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
33 A

Breakout

10th Annual Wellness Together Conference

Alisha Rodriguez

Dr. Zaia Vera

Get help with the event

10th Annual Wellness Together Conference

Alisha Rodriguez

Dr. Zaia Vera

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