Mental Wellness
With the safety and well-being of our students as a top priority, we recognize that strong mental health plays a vital role in a student's growth and success. Lakota offers a variety of services and supports to meet the mental health needs of our students.
If a person needs immediate assistance:
Immediate Crisis Response and Consultation
Mobile Response Stabilization Service: 844-427-4747
Consultation Support and Referral/Intake
Children’s Hospital Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC): 513-636-4124
Crisis Numbers
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
- Butler County Crisis Hotline: 844-427-4747 or call 911
- Ohio Crisis Text Line: Text 4HOPE to 741741
Social Emotional Learning
Lakota's Portrait of a Graduate clearly defines the skills, characteristics and attributes that each of our graduates should possess. These life skills integrates ones that give students a strong foundation for academic achievement as well as success in life.
Life skills such as reasoning and problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills, self-confidence, self-motivation, coping skills, responsible decision-making and goal setting are all a part of social emotional learning at Lakota and meet the Ohio Department of Education's standards on social emotional learning.
Hope & Strength
Hope & Strength replaces the high schools' former Hope Squads and follows the same evidence-based curriculum supporting the junior schools' "Sources of Strength" program.
Student leaders, as nominated by staff, work together to promote a positive school culture, healthy decision-making and suicide prevention messages, while also raising mental health awareness among their peers. The curriculum is also available as a semester-long class to all students, not just Hope & Strength members. In addition to suicide and bullying prevention, the program emphasizes resilience, substance abuse prevention and a sense of belonging among students.
Therapy Dogs
Lakota partners with non-profit Circle Tail to provide several therapy dogs throughout the district. These specially-trained dogs provide cognitive, social, emotional and physical support for both students and staff.
Our school-based and traveling dogs help to improve self-esteem, acceptance from others and lift moods, often provoking laughter and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things, as well as relieving anxiety.
Sources of Strength
Student leaders at Lakota's four junior schools promote a positive school climate, healthy decision making and suicide prevention while raising mental health awareness among their peers.
The students, nominated by their teachers, receive training to recognize risk factors and warning signs early on so that they can help those in need to help.
SAVE Students Act (Safety & Violence Education)
Ohio's 133rd General Assembly enacted House Bill 123, the "Safety and Violence Education (SAVE) Students Act" regarding school security and youth suicide awareness education and training. Read more about Lakota's implementation of this law.
Erin's Law
Ohio’s 134th General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 288 which updated the prescribed curriculum for health education, adding requirements related to child sexual abuse prevention, dating violence prevention and sexual violence prevention.Read more about Lakota's implementation of this law.
School Based Therapy
We want all of our students to be healthy and ready to learn, and we recognize that strong mental health and wellness play a vital role in a student's growth and success. Students who are struggling with stress, anxiety or other concerns cannot focus on school work. That's why we’ve partnered with Catalyst Counseling and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to help increase student access to high quality and affordable mental healthcare.
In addition to their network of school-based providers, MindPeace also manages a comprehensive community database of all the mental health providers in our region, along with other helpful resources to meet the needs of students and their families. Visit the MindPeace website to view the comprehensive list of providers and resources.
- What is MindPeace?
- How does treatment work?
- When should I make a referral?
- What costs are involved?
- Who are Lakota's partners?
- What if you are on a waitlist?
- How do I refer?
- Does my child's information remain confidential?
- What is the difference between a school counselor and a licensed therapist?