Mental Health in Jewish Day Schools

Gateways supports Jewish day schools in realizing a holistic vision of inclusion, where students with disabilities, diverse learning needs, and mental health challenges are all embraced by the school community. Check out some of the ways we’re working to weave mental health and wellbeing into the fabric of Jewish day school education in the Greater Boston area and beyond.

Multi-Tiered Support Systems

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Since 2018, Gateways has worked with 10 Jewish day schools in the Greater Boston area to introduce the concept of Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), a systemic approach adopted by public schools to promote students’ social-emotional well-being and proactively support students with mental health challenges. An effective MTSS is able to:

1. provide activities that foster positive social, emotional, and behavioral skills and well-being among all students, regardless of whether they are at risk for mental health concerns (Tier 1).
2. provide additional support to students who demonstrate social-emotional struggles (Tier 2), and
3. effectively manage more significant chronic or acute mental health complications (Tier 3).

Professional Development

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Gateways supports Boston-area Jewish day schools through professional development for staff on various mental health topics, consultation to schools around student needs, and funding for school-specific mental health needs. Gateways has partnered with BRYT from the Brookline Center for Mental Health, Bamidbar, and Youth Mental Health First Aid to bring professional development opportunities to faculty.

We also run a weekly community of practice for the mental health staff across the Boston area Jewish day schools. The mental health staff present case studies, share dilemmas in practice, create system-wide policies, and share resources.

Bridge Programs

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Gateways has supported two local Jewish day schools (Solomon Schechter of Greater Boston and Jewish Community Day School) to implement a Bridge Program. Our model is based on BRYT: The Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition, which was created by the Brookline Mental Health Center in Brookline, MA and is currently running in more than 140 schools nationwide. Bridge’s model is clinically informed, data driven, trauma and culturally sensitive, and replicable.

This program is designed to support students with significant social, emotional, and behavioral needs in the school environment where other interventions have not been successful, as well as students returning from an extended absence as a result of in-patient mental health treatment, medical hospitalization, brain injuries, or more.

The purpose of Bridge is to provide an emotionally and physically safe place (for short or medium term) within a school where students can be supported until they’re ready to re-enter the general school population. Bridge programs focus on four key areas: direct clinical supports to students, academic coordination, family engagement and care coordination.

In-School Therapy

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Gateways has partnered with the Brookline Center for Mental Health to provide therapy to Jewish day school students both in person and via telehealth during the school day. If you are a parent interested in accessing this service for your child, please contact your individual school.

Consult with Us on Mental Health

Gateways is available to support your school in implementing any of the above programming. Contact us to learn more and discuss how we can help you.

Jewish Day School Services

Gateways partners with Boston regional day schools to provide on-site speech & language therapy, occupational therapy, literacy support, math support, and behavior support during the school day to students with a range of learning needs.

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Categories: Mental Health Initiative

Tags: Jewish Day School, Mental Health

Multi-Tiered Support Systems

Professional Development

Bridge Programs

In-School Therapy

Consult with Us on Mental Health

Jewish Day School Services

Gateways: Access to Jewish Education