The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education (OIE) is hosting virtual listening sessions to listen and learn about the realities that impact Title VI (Part A) Indian Education within your community. This is your opportunity to be heard and help the OIE identify ways we can enhance our delivery of meaningful services.

Identifying Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs: Realities and Needs

March 21, 2022 | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET

Register: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_4_S7Ly1cSo2zM34PyONWuA

Description: The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education (OIE) is seeking stakeholder input to identify ways the OIE can better embrace and support the whole Native child. We are looking to identify efforts to meet the social, emotional, and mental health needs of Native students. The purpose of this opportunity is to hear, listen, and learn about promising practices and persistent barriers affecting an educator’s ability to support the social, emotional, and mental health needs of their Native students. This session advances Secretarial Supplemental Priority 4(a) which is to identify culturally informed solutions that address negative learning environments that are impacting social and emotional well-being.

Questions:

1. What are barriers that you face when attempting to address Native student social, emotional, and/or mental health needs? (e.g., time, space, budget)
2. What are the challenges associated with addressing negative learning environments that are impacting the social, emotional, and mental health well-being of Native students?
3. What are ways that the OIE can best embrace a “Whole Native Child” model where OIE grants can support the social, emotional, and mental health needs of Native students?
4. What are types of activities have you conducted or witnessed in-action that you believe are having a positive social, emotional, and mental health impact on Native students?
5. What social, emotional, and mental health skills or areas that need support as we identify ways to support Native students across the country? (e.g., self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, mindfulness, responsible decision-making)
6. How can the OIE support your local social, emotional, and mental health initiatives that embrace the whole Native child?
7. What are some school climate strategies that have had positive and transformative impacts in your local school community?
8. Please describe ways that the OIE can support the professional educator workforce as it grapples with educator turnover due to burnout.