Utilizing Dialectical Behavioral Therapy in Schools: Staff Trainings to Help Students Manage Emotions and Build Resiliency

BACKGROUND: Schools are well positioned to address the growing youth mental health crisis by addressing students' social and emotional well-being through regular, consistent and caring connections. However, teachers often report a lack of information on how to address student mental health in the classroom. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) focuses on helping individuals understand and manage intense emotions. "Utilizing DBT Skills in Schools" (UDSS) is a virtual training program supporting the integration of DBT into daily classroom activities. CONTRIBUTIONS TO PRACTICE: The UDSS curriculum, accessed by almost 700 school personnel, was viewed as a valuable asset to address emotion regulation, stress management, and validation skills. Surveys revealed increased knowledge of each DBT skill, a high level of intention to use the skills, and overwhelmingly favorable perceptions of the training. Open-ended responses reflected appreciation of the organization around skills and collaborative focus. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: The UDSS courses provide a more accessible, less time-intensive training for school professionals to learn introductory DBT skills that can be used with all students. CONCLUSIONS: UDSS provides flexible options to gain valuable skills to help teachers identify and manage strong emotions in the classroom.