Resilience Supportive Schools Illinois: Connecting School Nurses with School-Specific Data and Resources to Build Student Wellness and Resilience

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Ben

Resilience Supportive Schools Illinois links school nurses with school-specific data and resources to strengthen student wellness and resilience. The material highlights Illinois academic and wellbeing indicators, including ELA proficiency and graduation rates, alongside youth mental health challenges revealed by surveys. It argues that resilience involves emotional management, adaptation, and supportive relationships, and positions school nurses as essential for early identification, prevention, interventions, referrals, and health data collection. A case example illustrates nurse-led crisis support access and parent engagement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Student wellbeing and resilience indicators

Academic and mental health findings

Core principles for resilience building

Caring relationships and socio-emotional skills

Roles of school nurses

Early identification, prevention, and referrals

Collaboration through SEL Hubs

Recruitment and partnership for data-driven support

Illustrative practice example

Nurse intervention and crisis services access

Resilience Supportive Schools Illinois: Connecting School Nurses with School-Specific Data and Resources to Build Student Wellness and Resilience Colleen Cicchetti, Ph.D., M.Ed. Mashana Smith, Ph.D. August 12, 2025 “Kasserian Inger” “And how are the children?” ● Student proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) has made noticeable gains. Students in grades 3-8 achieved a proficiency rate of 41.2%, the highest since 2019 (Advance Illinois, 2024) . ● Highest graduation rate for Illinois’ high school students in 14 years at 87.7%, ● Illinois has consistently improved its ranking in addressing 3 “And how are the children?” ● 42% of 9th-12th grade Illinoisans reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for >=2 weeks in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities, ever during the 12 months before the YRBS survey (CDC, 2021) ● Nearly 40% of Illinois youth who experienced major depressive episodes were unable to access necessary care (Mental Health America, 2024) 4 Remember this….. ● Can’t mental health our way out of this ● Not every child requires mental health treatment ● Every child needs a caring relationship and environment and socio-emotional skill development In Illinois School Psychologists School Counselors School Social Workers 5 ([Inseparable.us](Inseparable.us), 2025) Resilience is a child's ability to bounce back from challenges and stressful situations, manage emotions, adapt to change, and keep moving forward 6 Resilient children possess…. Confidence Contribution Competence Connection Coping Character Control American Academy of Pediatrics, 2006 7 School Nurses are ………. ● In a unique position to provide direct care and build connections with students. ● Among the first school staff to identify potential mental health concerns . ● Well positioned to collect and manage health data, which can include information related to attendance and social determinants of health to help build a complete picture of the student’s health needs and inform referrals . ● Key to prevention, early identification, interventions, and referral for students with mental health concerns . ● In need more support to continue serving in these critical roles . “We had a student whose teacher was concerned about their behavior and mental health. After an initial assessment, I gathered the school’s mental health team, connected with the student’s parents, and helped the student access crisis support services. On their last day asa senior, the student came into my office and shared a heartfelt thank you for listening to them that day two years ago .” – Gloria E. Barrera, a school nurse in Illinois Recruitment-Partnership with SEL Hubs Seven Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Hubs are housed within six Regional Offices of Education across the state and Chicago Public Schools. SEL Hubs are providing professional development, training, and support to districts in their region to establish and expand SEL programs in Illinois schools. They are assisting school-community leadership teams to implement datadriven strategies to address student trauma and mental health needs and build resilient communities. 10

FAQs

What is the goal of Resilience Supportive Schools Illinois?

To connect school nurses with school-specific data and resources so districts can build student wellness and resilience.

How is resilience defined in the material?

Resilience is described as a child's ability to bounce back from challenges, manage emotions, adapt to change, and keep moving forward.

Why are school nurses considered critical in addressing student mental health concerns?

They are positioned to provide direct care, identify potential concerns early, collect and manage health data, and support prevention, interventions, and referrals.

Oct 10, 2026

Uploaded by Ben