Student mental health already was a pressing concern before COVID-19 forced an abrupt shift to virtual learning and painful social isolation for students who thrive on peer interactions. Now teachers face a doubly tough task of identifying students — mostly behind screens instead of desks — showing signs of psychological distress. One answer? Avatars. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Education have partnered with health simulation company Kognito to bring free "At Risk" training to schools statewide. Stephanie Downey, Bemidji-based suicide prevention coordinator for MDH, oversees the program and tells us how it works, even during a pandemic.
Q: In a nutshell, what is Kognito?
A: Kognito is an evidence-based program that offers educators virtual training simulations tackling real-life issues youth may experience, such as bullying, difficulties at home, falling grades, self-injurious behaviors or thoughts of suicide. Half a million educators have used it and the data show that its simulations and scenarios work very well. Kognito helps teachers, faculty and other school personnel identify at-risk behaviors so they can refer students to trained support staff who can help them. And, this isn't our first experience with Kognito. The Department of Health, working with NAMI Minnesota, did a pilot project with some schools during the 2017-2018 school year and got positive feedback. Kognito provided training for that pilot.
Q: Teachers already have so much on their plate. Might adding this task overwhelm them?
A: We know that educators are not counselors or psychologists. But they're in a great position to connect with their students and get them to trained support staff who can help them.
Q: Is that why you encourage other school personnel to get trained?
A: Yes. Trusted adults might not be the teacher or school social worker. They could be the bus driver, the school lunch lady a child has known forever, a paraprofessional or that really cool guy who is the hall monitor. By using this system to train multiple types of staff, you're building a larger capacity to reach students.
Q: How can you pick up on worrisome clues with students learning virtually?