A comprehensive system to provide professional development, mental health literacy and support for a healthy school community.
We help support your educators and students and build a safer, more resilient school
While inadequate support for student mental health has long been a simmering problem in schools nationwide, it has become a crisis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. And now educator burnout and overwhelm are making the situation even worse. School administrators and counselors are reckoning with the fact that the resources they provide are inadequate and are turning to SHARPEN® for help.
The SHARPEN Solution:
- Provides trauma-informed professional development for all district leadership and staff
- Enhances educator emotional wellness
- Infuses suicide prevention best practices
- Is customizable and scalable for any size school or district
The U.S. Department of Education released new guidance on school mental health. Here is how Sharpen aligns with all recommendations.
This is what we do and how we do it
Sharpen provides a cost-effective and flexible platform that:
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Provides easy access to research-based content for mental wellness;
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Enhances the reach of the guidance counselor and professional staff;
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Builds mental health literacy and emotional wellness in schools
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Provides data to improve resource utilization;
Our service is built on interdisciplinary, expert collaborations:
"I value Sharpen Family immensely due to my ability to share services and evidenced educational material to assist families overcoming the many barriers of becoming self-sufficient."
Colin Bauer LMSW
"I recommend Sharpen to any school district interested in improving behavioral health outcomes because it gives educators, parents, and students the opportunity to build resiliency skills, improve overall mental well-being, and provide connections to needed resources."
Ruth Schoonover, President SC School Social Worker Association
"We launched our own version of Sharpen called MindfulMEDS, and it has been a great addition to our toolkit. Knowning that our students have access to a wealthor resources to support their mental health is reassuring, and also another important step we can take to reduce stigma around mental health in healthcare."
Natalie M. Fadel, PsyD
Evidence-Based, Research-Informed, Results Proven
Since 2006, Sharpen has worked with over 900,000 students, staff, and professionals in fifteen states representing 33 different school systems. Delivering over 6,000 trainings to educators and parents who not only recommend (98%) these trainings, but also indicated their personal awareness, understanding, and ability to take action was greater than 92% after being trained on the Sharpen system. Most importantly their confidence and competence in appropriately addressing mental health topics with students increased by over 86% (Anderson et al, 2017).
In addition, the Sharpen digital program has seen more than 9,000 clicks to community health and/or treatment providers in the last year.
Demonstrated Value Through Focus Groups, Survey Data, and Real-World Results
98%
recommended for others
98% of educators and counselors improved techniques for decreasing stress, and recommended the programs for other schools.
96%
connected to practical techniques
96% of educators said Sharpen connected them to practical techniques they can use in a classroom setting.
92%
increased awareness
92% of participants increased awareness on risk and protective factors for suicide, mental health and substance use disorders and how to appropriately support a student in need.
