Stronger Students, Smarter Systems: A New Approach to Behavioral and Mental Health Support

Stronger Students, Smarter Systems: A New Approach to Behavioral and Mental Health Support

Every student deserves the skills to navigate challenges and thrive. Learn how the DESSA and Move This World empower districts to take a proactive, strength-based approach to student mental health. By combining universal screening with aligned instruction, schools can build supportive environments where every student has the opportunity to grow.

In this session, we’ll walk through:

• How districts can connect DESSA screening and assessment data to Move This World’s ready-to-implement lessons
• Real, actionable scenarios across all tiers that highlight clear paths to stronger student outcomes
• Guiding questions and practices to improve district-wide approaches to student behavioral and mental health support aligned to MTSS

About the Presenters: 

Kendall Sweeney: As Senior Director of Impact, Kendall works cross functionally to support Move This World’s various programmatic updates. In her role, she uses her background in social work to support the growth and development of the organization’s curriculum, professional development offerings, implementation in schools/districts, and research initiatives. She helps raise awareness about the ways MTW supports student behavioral and mental health through external events and workshops, including webinars, and conferences.

Dr. Lisa Micou: Prior to becoming a Senior Assessment Strategist at Riverside Insights, Dr. Lisa Micou championed students’ social, emotional, and behavioral needs as the Intervention & Training Specialist for Social Emotional Learning in a large division in VA and as a school psychologist at both the elementary and high school levels in suburban Chicago and VA. She has cultivated expertise in multi-tiered systems of support, problem solving and progress monitoring, and social, emotional, and behavioral intervention support for students with high and low incidence disabilities. Dr. Micou earned her post-master’s certificate in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Richmond where she now serves as an adjunct associate professor. She received her master’s and doctorate in psychology at Northern Illinois University. Aside from her many professional accomplishments, Dr. Micou is very blessed with a hilarious and supportive husband as well as three confident, sassy, but well-adjusted children.