ISBE School Wellness Conference

While individual self-care is vital, the "Blueprint for Transformation" highlights that a school’s collective well-being is the true engine of teacher retention and student success. This session pivots from solo wellness to Systemic Adult SEL, exploring how Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is prioritizing collective belonging as a foundational strategy. We will delve into the Illinois SEL Standards through an adult lens, sharing practical strategies for building "Bridges of Belonging" that foster relational trust and psychological safety. Participants will leave with an actionable toolkit to cultivate a thriving school culture where educators feel seen, supported, and empowered to remain in the profession.

How can school districts transform raw data into a lifeline for students? This session explores how to leverage analytics to identify hidden barriers to success. We will move beyond the numbers to discuss practical strategies that streamline student support and facilitate seamless collaboration with the Regional Office of Education (ROE) and community partners. Join us to learn how to build a unified ecosystem of care that ensures every student receives the proactive intervention they need to thrive.


In this session, you will learn how to:

• Identify emerging trends and barriers using predictive data analytics.
• Implement tech-driven strategies to bridge communication between the district and ROE.
• Foster sustainable partnerships with external organizations for comprehensive, wrap-around support.
• Execute data-informed interventions that measurably improve student well-being and outcomes.

Across the country, educators are grappling with the growing impact of social media on student mental health, behavior, and learning. What once began as simple online interactions now shapes attention, relationships, and trust both inside and outside the classroom. From group chats to viral challenges, digital culture has redefined school climate—often faster than policies or adults can respond.


This session helps school and district leaders understand and lead through the youth mental health crisis fueled by engagement technology. Grounded in current research and real-world implementation, participants will explore how social media and device use affect attention, emotional regulation, and belonging before students even enter the building. The discussion highlights why current responses such as like phone bans, monitoring software, or compliance-based mandates, often fail to address root causes or foster long-term change.

School Social Workers are essential mental health personnel who have been shown to positively impact students and schools. The need to respond to challenges facing schools and students can reduce the amount of prevention work that SSWs are able to complete. Additionally, the job responsibilities of school social workers are continuously expanding. This qualitative study gathered data utilizing the Illinois School Social Worker Association listserv. This study consisted of 56 participants who all self-identified as school social workers in Illinois. Two open ended questions were asked of school social workers. The first was, “If you believe that additional supports are needed, what supports could they provide?” The second open-ended question was, “As a school social worker what supports do you need to function more effectively?” These questions enabled us to understand perspectives of challenges and solutions that school social workers across the state have in regard to social work services and supports. Challenges and solutions were discussed by participants and provide guidance to school districts and school administrators about the services that school social workers can provide as well as the support they need to continue doing their jobs effectively. The two most prevalent challenges included the need for support through MTSS, and the lack of tier 1 SEL programs in schools. Solutions focused practice implications are explored in the perspective of the school social worker.

This session highlights the partnership between Hawthorn District 73 and Youth and Family Counseling to expand access to student mental health services by providing therapy on site during the school day. Participants will learn how this district–community collaboration reduces barriers to care, supports student wellness, and maximizes impact through coordinated scheduling and systems-level planning. Attendees will leave with practical insights for developing similar partnerships in their own districts.