APA worked with key Department of Education staff to ensure that psychological science was represented in recent guidance issued to help schools address the social, emotional, mental health, and academic impacts of the pandemic on students, educators, and staff. The COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students’ Needs (PDF, 5.03MB) featured recommendations from APA’s guide to school reopening (PDF, 2.22MB), released last fall. They were developed in collaboration between APA’s Advocacy Office and the Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education, which includes members of 23 divisions, boards, and committees:

“To help remove the stigma and ensure students can access mental health programs when they are available, the American Psychological Association recommends school leaders and educators: 

  • Share educational resources with staff and students that provide a better sense of what mental health means;
  • Talk about mental health and allow students the opportunity to speak openly about life, school, the future, and anxiety; and
  • Let students know they are not alone and that others are going through similar situations and provide them the time needed to heal.”

For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.