Creating Communities of Care - How Charter Schools can Develop Systems that Support Student Mental Health - October 2022

Oct 15, 2026

Creating Communities of Care examines how charter schools can build integrated systems that prioritize students’ social, emotional, and mental well-being. The report connects mental health supports to school outcomes, highlights equity-focused approaches, and offers practical strategies for creating welcoming, affirming environments. It also provides guidance on responsive mental health, well-being, and SEL supports, community partnerships, and continuous improvement through structured tools and MTSS-aligned examples.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages38

Reading Time1 h 36 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Why This Matters Right Now

A Framework for Organizing Mental Health and Well-being Supports

How to Use This Resource

Section 1: Summary of Key Research Linking Mental Health and Well-being to School Outcomes

Research Summary: Positive impacts from cultivating student mental health and well-being

What can leaders do?

Center Equity in Student Well-being and Mental Health

Section 2: Strategies to Support Welcoming Environments, Student Responsiveness, and Community Integration

Creating a Welcoming, Affirming Environment

Providing Responsive Mental Health, Well-being, and SEL Supports for all Students

Partnering With the Community to Extend Mental Health and Well-being Supports

Section 3: Applying Continuous Improvement to Support Student Mental Health and Well-being

Tool: Continuous Improvement Vision for Student Mental Health and Well-being

Closing

Appendix I – Understanding the Research

Appendix II – Additional Resources to Support the Development of Communities of Care

Appendix III – Example of MTSS Strategies at Each Tier for SEL and Behavior Support

References

Creating Communities of Care How Charter Schools can Develop Systems that Support Student Mental Health October 2022 The National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) provides technical assistance to federal grantees and resources supporting charter sector stakeholders working across the charter school life cycle. NCSRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and managed by Manhattan Strategy Group in partnership with WestEd. This report was produced by NCSRC in partnership with lead authors Andrea Browning and Adrian Larbi-Cherif, Ph.D. Suggested citation: National Charter School Resource Center. (2022). Creating Communities of Care: How Charter Schools can Develop Systems that Support Student Mental Health. Manhattan Strategy Group. This publication was produced in whole or in part with funds from the U.S. Department of Education under contract number GS10F0201T. The content does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the federal government. Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Why This Matters Right Now .....................................................................................................................1 A Framework for Organizing Mental Health and Well-being Supports................................................... 2 How to Use This Resource......................................................................................................................... 3 Section 1: Summary of Key Research Linking Mental Health and Well-being to School Outcomes ............................................................................................................... 4 Research Summary: Positive impacts from cultivating student mental health and well-being............. 5 What can leaders do?................................................................................................................................. 5 Why it’s Important to Center Equity in Student Well-being and Mental Health .................................... 6 Section 2: Strategies to Support Welcoming Environments, Student Responsiveness, and Community Integration................................................................................................ 7 Creating a Welcoming, Affirming Environment that Enables a Sense of Safety for Every Student ........ 7 Providing Responsive Mental Health, Well-being, and SEL Supports for all Students ........................ 10 Partnering With the Community to Extend Mental Health and Well-being Supports...........................14 Section 3: Applying Continuous Improvement to Support Student Mental Health and Well-being.................................................................................................................. 18 Tool: Developing, Implementing, and Refining a Vision for Student Mental Health and Well-being through Continuous Improvement .......................................................................................19 Closing ............................................................................................................................. 24 Appendix I – Understanding the Research ....................................................................... 25 How Mental Health and Well-being Relate to Learning ....................................................................... 25 What SEL is and What it Means for Learning ........................................................................................ 25 How School Climate and Culture Matter Impact Well-being................................................................. 26 How a Ready-to-learn Brain Supports Learning .....................................................................

FAQs

Why do charter schools need systems to support student mental health?

Charter schools must create learning conditions and wraparound supports that prioritize students’ social, emotional, and mental well-being. The report emphasizes that student well-being should be integrated into all aspects of education.

What framework does the report use to organize mental health and well-being supports?

The report presents a framework for organizing mental health and well-being supports and links them to school outcomes. It also explains how leaders can center equity in student well-being and mental health.

How can schools apply continuous improvement to strengthen mental health supports?

The report recommends applying continuous improvement to support student mental health and well-being. It includes a specific tool for developing, implementing, and refining a vision through continuous improvement, plus MTSS-aligned examples.

Oct 15, 2026

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