Emotional Backpack

Everyone carries about an emotional backpack that bears the weight of their life experiences. Carrying this emotional backpack without periodically removing its contents will result in emotional wounds that are difficult to heal. While children coming to school with physical supplies in their backpack is important, it is equally important to fill a child’s Emotional Backpack with information, ideas, words, thoughts, and other self-care tools that will help them to build and support a solid foundation for their emotional wellness and mental health.

The Emotional Backpack Project is an education and awareness program led by the Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston that teaches youth, parents, and educators about mental health and local resources so that all children can grow up to lead happy and healthy lives.

 

Tomball ISD has partnered with Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston to become an Emotional Backpack School.  Training modules, lesson plans and activities help to infuse mental health into the campus culture. The training modules fulfill the TEA requirements for mental health (SB 460*) and suicide prevention training and are based on SAMHSA Nationally Recognized Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).