Social Work // Michigan Cares Portal

Mental health and socio-emotional well-being is just as important as physical health, especially in children. It is important to care for your mind, as well as your body, and now that we are living in unprecedented times, it is even more important.  Most students are engaged in virtual learning and are without the social interactions they once received in school and other extracurricular activities. Studies have shown that many students utilized school as an outlet to interact with others and engaged in positive mental health management. 

In response to the current pandemic and mental health crisis, the State of Michigan has created a FREE virtual resource, Michigan Cares Portal, which offers digital lessons to support social, emotional, and mental well-being for students in grades kindergarten - 12th grade. The lessons are organized by grade level, for both parents and students, and include narratives, mental health resources, videos, and small quizzes to be completed by students. The content is grade level appropriate for students and supports students with processing the emotions and experiences they’re having as a result of not only the pandemic, but also the daily challenges of managing emotions as an adolescent.

For example, there is a kindergarten lesson titled “This Made Me Feel”, which helps students identify scenarios which cause a specific emotion, and a 12th grade lesson titled “The Senior Year College Application Checklist”, which describes the steps students will take during their senior year as they apply for colleges and receive decision letters. Overall, the portal offers a wide range of lessons, which could benefit students of all grade levels. 

I hope you have a chance to check it out!

Shonteqa <3, School Social Worker