Promoting Students’ Mental Wellness: Implementing Mindfulness-Based Interventions Within Multitiered Systems of Support

Abstract

The pandemic has exacerbated student dysregulation, leading to drastic changes in academic achievement and student behavior today. Mindfulness, an evidence-based practice, can help to regulate the nervous system (Rashedi et al., 2020; Taylor et al., 2019) or “unflip a student’s lid” (Siegel, 2012, p. 10-6). This allows students to manage their behavior and shift their focus to learning. In this article, we discuss the rise of concerns regarding students’ mental health, the relationship between the nervous system and student behavior and mental health, and how mindfulness and movement are connected to the body. We also review research on mindfulness-based interventions and how school counselors can effectively implement such interventions within multitiered systems of support (MTSS) with fidelity and feasibility.

Keywords

mindfulness multitiered systems of support mindfulness-based interventions nervous system school counselors

With pre-K–12 student mental health needs on the rise after educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, school counselors’ ability to lead schools in creating safe, effective learning environments is more important than ever (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2020). Movement and mindfulness, both evidence-based practices, can help to regulate the nervous system (Rashedi et al., 2020; Taylor et al., 2019) or “unflip a student’s lid” (Siegel, 2012, p. 10-6). This allows students to manage their own behavior and shift their focus to learning. Thich Nhat Hanh (2013) explained that “mindfulness shows us what is happening in our bodies, our emotions, our minds, and in the world. Through mindfulness, we avoid harming ourselves and others” (p. 11). Mindfulness, the practice of being aware in the present moment of one’s thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and actions, without judging (Kabat-Zinn, 1994), can help to increase students’ ability to learn and to manage their behavior (Frank et al., 2017). Although a plethora of research discusses the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions (Bazzano et al., 2018; Su & Swank, 2018), a systematic review of the research on this subject highlight concerns and challenges for practical implementation in schools (Emerson et al., 2019).

In this article, we (a) discuss the rise of concerns related to student mental health, (b) highlight the connection between the nervous system and student behavior and mental health, (c) examine how mindfulness and movement are connected to student outcomes, (d) review the evidence and research supporting mindfulness-based interventions, and (e) share recommendations of how to effectively embed such interventions into a multitiered systems of support (MTSS) framework with fidelity and feasibility, using two case studies. Because these interventions can be implemented school-wide, within the classroom, in small group settings, and with individual students, in ways that are valuable in terms of efficiency of impact and preventative services, the purpose of this article is to demonstrate how school counselors can implement mindfulness-based interventions within the different tiers of MTSS, given their unique school and student needs.

School Counselors and Students’ Mental Health

Mental health concerns in students may have effects into adulthood, with mental health issues in childhood and adolescence as a primary reason for poor quality of life trajectories (Schlack et al., 2021). Recent years have also seen a notable surge in mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide, among young people (U.S. Surgeon General, 2021). The pandemic has exacerbated student dysregulation, leading to drastic changes in academic achievement and student behavior (Barbosa-Camacho et al., 2022; Di Malta et al., 2022). As of 2022, 20% of students aged 13–18 suffer from a severe mental illness, while two-thirds of students in need of mental health support lack access (Mpofu et al., 2022). Even when students want to seek out mental health support, they face challenges to finding community mental health services, including financial costs, logistical barriers, and the availability of mental health professionals (Radez et al., 2021).

Unfortunately, leaving students’ mental health needs unaddressed can create significant obstacles in their academic, career, and social/emotional development, and could ultimately compromise school and student safety (ASCA, 2020). According to Bitsko and colleagues (2022), most students in need do not receive adequate mental health support. Erford (2019) highlighted that 20% of students are in need of mental health services, yet only one in five of these students receives the necessary services. This often leads school counselors to be the ones to provide these services. Furthermore, students of color and those from families with low income are at greater risk for mental health needs but are even less likely to receive the appropriate services (Paniagua & Yamada, 2013), despite increased national attention to these inequities (Marrast et al., 2016).

Because of their training to recognize developmental concerns and provide appropriate counseling services, school counselors have the required skill sets to deliver instruction that enhances students’ awareness of their mental health, have the knowledge to recognize mental health warning signs, and can collaborate with community stakeholders to meet the mental health needs of the whole child and ensure that all students and families have access to mental health services (ASCA, 2020). In the following section, we define mindfulness and connect mindfulness to the role of school counselors. By sharing evidence-based mindfulness-based interventions that school counselors can implement within the three-tiered framework of MTSS, we support school counselors’ understanding of the benefits of mindfulness and its applications in interventions to improve student outcomes and strengthen comprehensive school counseling programs. These interventions can be provided to students individually, in the classroom, and in small group settings; thus, school counselors can implement them in ways that maximize efficiency of impact and preventative services.

Mindfulness and School Counseling

Due to growing concerns related to children and their mental health, the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions in schools are being studied more than ever (Emerson et al., 2019; Lemberger-Truelove et al., 2018). As students learn and struggle within the walls of the school, some might experience emotions that they are not equipped to manage or display behaviors that disrupt the learning environment, while the anxiety or worry of other students might require visits to the nurse or school counselor, taking them away from the classroom. Through co-regulation practices with a safe adult, mindfulness-based interventions can help students learn to self-regulate, strengthening their overall mental health. Because mindfulness changes the brain (Conroy & Perryman, 2022), the goal of a mindful school is key to student success. By providing students with skills to use in the classroom or at home with their family, school counselors equip them to be proactive, rather than react to their environment (Chamberlain et al., 2019).

Origins of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is rooted in centuries-old Eastern practices as a part of Buddhist and other spiritual traditions (Keng et al., 2011). Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, is one of the authors that brought the practice of mindfulness to the West with several translated works on the topic (1975). Hanh (1975) described nonjudgmental consciousness of one’s present moment; when washing the dishes, a person is actively conscious of the washing of the dishes. This could be applied to eating, to cleaning the house, to walking outside, or even to intentional thoughts (Hanh, 1975). Breath is presented as a bridge to consciousness or a means for mindfulness. Moreover, Hanh (1975) wrote of mindfulness as both a “seed and a fruit” (p. 14), meaning that it is both a practice that must be built up and tended to, and a gift one receives, strengthening the ability to focus with intentionality. The adoption of mindfulness in Western medicine and mental health practices began in the 1970s (Keng et al., 2011).

Discrimination in Schools

When thinking about mindfulness as an intervention, an especially crucial factor is to safeguard the mental health of minority and marginalized youth due to many social factors beyond their control (Murthy, 2022). Students’ mental health has been, and continues to be, impacted by acts of discrimination (Mpofu et al., 2022) and experiencing discrimination in schools or within their community can increase students’ anxiety and depression (Anderson et al., 2020). However, we acknowledge that mindfulness isn’t a band-aid solution for students who have experienced discrimination. Mindfulness helps manage the symptom but does not treat the root of the issue: systemic racism and the persistent nature of racial trauma. The issue is not students and their behaviors, but the systems, and mindfulness-based interventions provide a way for students to cope with the lack of change in those systems and the systemic pressures that have affected student mental health. School counselors are in the imperative and necessary role to create and foster a school climate that is inclusive—rooted in advocacy and antiracist practices—and affirms all students and their identities and disabilities.

Understanding the Nervous System: Polyvagal Theory

A cornerstone of mindfulness is being aware of how the brain and body work. Polyvagal theory proposes that the nervous system provides the neurophysiological substrates for adaptive behavioral strategies (Conroy & Perryman, 2022; Porges, 1995, 2011). Originally, the nervous system was thought to be a two-part, antagonistic system that helped people manage life-threatening situations (Wagner, 2016). This is commonly known as the sympathetic fight-or-flight and parasympathetic shutdown. In other words, a student’s activated nervous system state could lead to fight-or-flight (sympathetic) behaviors or freeze (parasympathetic) behaviors (Brantbjerg, 2018; Conroy & Perryman, 2022). The reaction to freeze (shutdown or faint) occurs through the dorsal branch of the vagus nerve. When this part of the nervous system is activated, students might experience immobility or dissociation (Wagner, 2016). This may look or feel like helplessness, depression, numbness, shame, hopelessness, or a sense of being trapped. The sympathetic fight-or-flight response may feel and look like movement away (panic, fear, anxiety, worry) or movement toward (rage, anger, irritation, frustration).

Polyvagal theory identifies a third type of nervous system response: the social engagement system, which is a mixture of activation and calming (Wagner, 2016). The ventral branch of the vagus nerve affects an individual’s social engagement system (Wagner, 2016). When this is activated, students may feel connected, safe, curious, grounded, and in the here and now. The purpose of mindfulness is to help students move into the social engagement activation of their body. As a practice, it can also strengthen the vagus nerve, helping students to return to a socially engaged, learning state more quickly (Conroy & Perryman, 2022; Porges, 2011). Because mindfulness-based interventions can help students to self-regulate, school counselors are in a critical and unique position to support students’ nervous system development and activate the social engagement part of their body through the implementation of mindfulness and movement interventions.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions

The benefits of mindfulness-based interventions and their impact on student development and achievement are important for school counselors to consider, with potential benefits including increased school engagement (Frank et al., 2017) and decreased student stress and anxiety (Bazzano et al., 2018). For example, in a research study focused on student attention and mindfulness (Su & Swank, 2018), school counselors implemented a mindfulness-based small group with elementary school students struggling with attention challenges. The intervention group included mindful breathing, sensory awareness, being nonjudgmental, and choosing to respond instead of reacting. The group proved to be effective in improving students’ on-task behavior and decreasing attention problems (Su & Swank, 2018). Lemberger-Truelove et al. (2018; 2021) found that theory-informed social/emotional learning (SEL) and mindfulness-based interventions within a comprehensive school counseling program resulted in greater positive changes in middle school students’ stress tolerance, social curiosity, executive functioning, and academic achievement. Bazzano and colleagues (2018) also suggested the benefits of mindfulness and yoga for both elementary students and teachers, highlighting that school mindfulness practices can benefit teachers, thereby creating a better atmosphere for learning. Furthermore, Ceballos and colleagues (2021) highlighted the important implications of mindfulness-based interventions in culturally diverse and economically challenged learning environments. An added benefit of these interventions is their applicability in a variety of settings, including school-wide interventions, classroom lessons, small groups, and individual counseling. Given this benefit, school counselors can be intentional about implementing mindfulness-based interventions based on student needs and mental health concerns through the MTSS framework.

Implementing Mindfulness-Based Interventions Within the Three Tiers of MTSS

MTSS is an evidence-based framework implemented in pre-K–12 schools with the goal of using data-based interventions to improve the learning and social/emotional functioning of all students within three different tiers of support (ASCA, 2021; Sink, 2016; Taylor et al., 2019). The three tiers of MTSS are Tier 1 (school-wide and classroom programming), Tier 2 (targeted small groups and group counseling), and Tier 3 (individual student support, consultation, collaboration, and facilitation of referrals). As part of an MTSS team, school counselors can take part in cyclical, data-based problem solving and implement meaningful interventions (ASCA, 2021). School counselors can have a lasting impact on student achievement by integrating MTSS within a school counseling program (ASCA, 2021). Specific to mindfulness-based interventions, school counselors can engage in universal screening for students’ mental health and determine the most appropriate interventions to meet their needs. For those seeking to learn more about the purpose and basics of MTSS in schools, we recommend additional literature (e.g., ASCA, 2021; Goodman-Scott et al., 2020; Goodman-Scott et al., 2023; Sink, 2016; Taylor et al., 2019) among the many MTSS resources available for school counselors.

Mindfulness-based interventions can be provided to all students through school-wide initiatives, in targeted classroom lessons, in small group settings, and individually with students. School counselors with higher caseloads often feel higher degrees of burnout and job stress (Mullen et al., 2021); therefore, school counselors can be intentional about student needs and the implementation of mindfulness-based interventions through MTSS to maximize student impact through classroom lessons and school-wide programs when individual and small group counseling might be limited due to high student caseloads. Further, many school counselors with a time constraint due to large caseloads can utilize Tier 1 and Tier 2 to overcome this burden and better serve their students. Many interventions and activities are mindfulness based, so school counselors should take the time to learn about each one specifically and how a particular intervention can best serve the needs of their students. School counselors must also be cognizant of students’ disabilities and levels of comfort and be intentional about implementing mindfulness-based interventions that are inclusive to all students’ abilities.

In the following section, we describe mindful movement and mindful breathing as evidence-based interventions and present two case studies that demonstrate how school counselors can implement specific mindfulness-based interventions within each tier of MTSS. We also include in the case studies other evidence-based programs into which school counselors can infuse mindfulness within the intervention (e.g., Second Step, Coping Cat). Table 1 provides additional brief examples of mindfulness-based interventions within each tier of the framework.

Table 1.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions and MTSS

Tiered level of support	Mindfulness-based interventions
Tier 1	Hopscotch hallway
	Sensory soothing items in classrooms and offices
	Calm-down corners/spaces
	Mindful movement (freeze dance, obstacle course, movement, mirrored movement, red light/greenlight, mindful class stretch)
	Body percussion activities
	Mindful breathing
Tier 2	Yoga
	Dance
	Mindful walking
	Circus arts (e.g., juggling)
	Stretch and chat
	Service projects
	Mindful breathing
Tier 3	Mindful walking
	Body awareness and breathing
	Resourcing

Mindful Breathing

Thich Nhat Hanh (2006) wrote: “We have a lamp inside us. The oil of that lamp is our breathing, our steps, and our peaceful smile. Our practice is to light up the lamp” (p. 11). The concept of breathing can be overwhelming. School counselors need not be experts in mindfulness or yoga instructors to offer mindful breathing as a direct service to students. To build a foundation of awareness, school counselors can invite students to focus on their breathing, just noticing what their breath is doing without any judgment or need to change. Once students have become aware of their breath, school counselors can offer the opportunity for students to practice specific types of breathing practices, which can help to regulate the nervous system (Cleveland, 2016).

Case Study: Mindful Breathing and MTSS with Mr. Evans

Mindful breathing helps students to regulate and strengthen their nervous systems and return to a state of optimal learning (Bazzano et al., 2019). Within Tier 1, Mr. Evans, an elementary school counselor, teaches mindful breathing and co-regulation in classroom lessons by first collaborating with administrators to implement school-wide mindfulness programs. Mr. Evans worked closely with the physical education teachers to offer mindful breathing lessons through a standard-aligned course that all students receive. While implementing a classroom lesson, Mr. Evans leads students in blowing bubbles to better understand how to lengthen their exhale breaths. He teaches students about balloon breathing where they inhale through the nose, imagining filling their belly like a big balloon and then exhaling fully, blowing out all the air through the mouth.

These lessons can be done very briefly, or they can include reflective processing with students, deepening their learning and connection with each other. Mr. Evans asks students to assess each breathing practice through a coloring page, where they choose colors based on their feelings after the breathing practice. Students are also invited to say what they noticed within themselves, what they liked, and what they didn’t like. This supports nervous system attunement. In any of these practices, students should be given the opportunity to practice within their own comfort zone and empowered to opt out, if needed. School counselors have myriad options and can best judge what will make sense at their school.

Mr. Evans utilizes Learning to BREATHE (L2B), a mindfulness-based curriculum specific to classroom or group settings that focuses on strengthening attention and emotion regulation of adolescents (Broderick, 2021). L2B has been recognized by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (n.d.) as meeting research criteria for effective SEL programs. Researchers of various studies have found that implementation of L2B led to several student outcomes, including decrease in tiredness (Broderick & Metz, 2009), decrease in depression and anxiety (Bluth et al., 2016), and increase in self-esteem (Eva & Thayer, 2017). The manual is designed to be used by teachers, but can also be implemented by mental health providers, including school counselors. Based on student and school needs, Mr. Evans works with teachers to implement L2B in classrooms across various grade levels.

To implement mindful breathing within Tier 2 of the MTSS framework, Mr. Evan leads a small group for students who struggle to take tests. Teachers noticed that certain students were breezing through their standardized tests so quickly that it was clear that they weren’t processing the questions. In talking to the students, Mr. Evans realized they feel a lot of anxiety surrounding taking tests. Mr. Evans acknowledges his role in supporting all students and understanding mental health needs from a lens of trauma-informed counseling. During the first group meeting, Mr. Evans asks students to count the seconds for their inhales and exhales, working to lengthen, deepen, and keep even their in and out breaths. Students are taught this mindful breathing technique in the first session and continue to engage in mindful breathing at the beginning and end of each group session, no matter the group’s content that week. Mr. Evans facilitates student processing of their experience with each mindful breathing activity, asking questions like, “What do you notice within yourself?” He uses informal ratings and asks students to reflect and assess the impact of these breathing practices, asking the students how they are doing on a scale of 1 to 5, with one being “dumpster fire” and five being “awesome sauce” (school counselors can tailor rating names to their personality and students’ developmental level). This helps the students in the group learn more about themselves and what works for them, while seeing that different things work for different people.

In Tier 3, with an individual student, Mr. Evans assesses the student’s mindfulness skills to judge how to proceed with mindfulness-based interventions at this tier. This is done through observation in responsive services, brief counseling with the student, and the use of a standardized scale, such as the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003) adapted for children and adolescents. Mr. Evans uses the MAAS scale in conjunction with individualized MTSS planning meetings with parents, teachers, and the student. Mindfulness-based interventions can be used at this tier to support academic, behavioral, and social/emotional goals. In Tier 3, school counselors have more opportunity to explore with a student what works and doesn’t work for them; school counselors can use their counseling skills to process student experiences and encourage continued practice in school and at home. Mr. Evans is prepared to offer co-regulation at this tier to model deep, slow breathing. Mr. Evans shares a breathing exercise, demonstrates it to the student first, and then does it with the student to co-regulate. He also shares this breathing technique with the student’s caregivers to support the student at home.

Mindful Movement

Mindful movement, another type of mindfulness-based intervention, involves paying attention to one’s body to create an awareness of somatic experiences. For some students, mindful movement may feel more accessible than breathing activities. Movement can be structured or unstructured. Structured activities may include yoga, Pilates, strength training, and stretching, whereas unstructured movement activities can include walking, freestyle dance, singing without purpose, gardening, and playing with pets (Jewell, 2017). Mindful movement can help to build community among students, especially when paired with group discussion and reflection opportunities that teach social/emotional skills (Accardo, 2017; de Sousa & Shapiro, 2018; Taylor et al., 2019).

In a study conducted at an elementary school, researchers found that yoga and mindfulness in the classroom had the potential to mitigate student stress and anxiety (Bazzano et al., 2018). In another study focusing on adolescent-aged students, school-based yoga programs significantly reduced unexcused absences and detentions, and increased school engagement (Frank et al., 2017). Students also demonstrated significant increases in emotion regulation and positive thinking. A research study on school counselors and movement found that school counseling participants were able to integrate yoga into their comprehensive school counseling program and connect it to the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors and/or MTSS interventions (Taylor et al., 2019).

Case Study: Mindful Movement and MTSS with Ms. Tang

To implement mindful movement within Tier 1 every morning, Ms. Tang uses the school-wide broadcast system with a prerecorded video played at the start of each day to lead middle school students in morning stretches. Alternatively, students can lead each other in stretching during morning meetings. Ms. Tang wants to support teachers in their efforts to implement movement into the classroom and offers a momentary movement break when needed in class. Sometimes this looks like a mindful walk as a class, or Ms. Tang plays music for 3 minutes while students get the wiggles out. Ms. Tang also coordinated with the physical education teacher to incorporate yoga and other mindful movement activities into their curriculum, and supports processing of the experiences through brief journal reflections and counselor-led discussions post-activity. Collaborating with administration and the MTSS team, Ms. Tang helps to implement an obstacle course hallway and calm-down corners, which provide the nervous system stimulation and soothing that students sometimes need. Placing these approaches in Tier 1 gives all students access to nervous system regulating resources that they can feel empowered to access with their class or within their classroom.

Ms. Tang works at a school where the Second Step program is currently implemented. Second Step helps students build social/emotional skills to enable them to thrive in school and life (Low et al., 2019). Research on Second Step’s effectiveness indicates that this program can help increase student executive functioning skills (Upshur et al., 2017) and improve students’ prosocial skills, empathy, and conduct (Low et al., 2015). Ms. Tang uses Mind Yeti (Committee for Children, 2022), in collaboration with Second Step, to encourage mindfulness practices. Mind Yeti is a research-based digital library providing mindfulness lessons to help children and families learn how to regulate their stress response, enhance their focus, and improve social skills. Mind Yeti is designed to help students reduce stress, improve focus, and build empathy through mindfulness (Ritter & Alvarez, 2020). The platform offers a variety of guided sessions on mindfulness techniques like deep breathing, stretching, and emotional self-regulation. Ms. Tang utilizes this tool and shares how to use it with teachers to help facilitate smoother transitions during the school day and help students refocus on the assigned tasks, to relieve testing anxiety, to help create more positive learning environments, and to generalize these practices at home for the students by sharing it with their caregivers.

Within Tier 2 of MTSS mindfulness-based interventions, Ms. Tang utilizes mirror neurons to aid in attunement between students and form closer connections in small groups using mindful movement activities. Ms. Tang models healthy risk-taking by leading movement to a song that students mirror (a mirrored movement activity). Ms. Tang plays a popular, fun song and leads simple movements that students can easily copy concurrently; eventually, she passes the lead to a student, who can pass the lead to another student, and so on. Students have a lot of fun with this activity, and it helps to regulate the nervous system and build a sense of connection in the group. Alternatively, this can be used as a game, where a guesser/investigator leaves the room while the movement leader is selected and then returns, trying to guess which student is leading the movement. Freeze dance is an another game-like movement activity that can create similar experiences and results; students dance when the music is on and freeze when it’s turned off. Outside the small group, students are encouraged to continue practicing any movements that they have found useful or fun. These activities all build nervous systems with greater capacity for intentional behavior and focused learning. Ms. Tang helps support student growth and development with these skills by not only teaching and practicing them with students, but also offering opportunities to reflect, evaluate their experiences, and process their experiences as a group.

At the close of small group sessions, Ms. Tang uses freestyle dance to help students regulate their system before returning to class. Ms. Tang is intentional about students’ disabilities (physical, behavioral, and developmental) and how she can modify movement activities to be inclusive for all. Ms. Tang also utilizes movement-based small groups as an alternative during recess for her elementary students. Ms. Tang is not a yoga-trained school counselor and accesses other resources, like videos and community partners, so students can engage in yoga. Stretch and chat is a group activity that involves students asking each other questions each time stretch poses are changed; Ms. Tang uses discussion cards as a supplement to support student dialogue. Other forms of movement that fit the school counselor and the student group can be harnessed and combined with a mindful approach to create an intervention that works for the student context. With access to supplies such as scarves, school counselors can lead students in practicing juggling mindfully. Body percussion activities, which work well at Tier 1 or 2, involve clapping the hands, slapping the knees, and generally creating sound with the body. Engaging in these can be regulating to the nervous system and doing it in a group will increase connection.

To implement mindful movement within the Tier 3 framework, Ms. Tang works individually with a student who is in a heightened state of anxiety (fear, stress, etc.) and takes the student on a mindful walk or sometimes sits with the student to engage in active movement to help them recenter and become aware of their body. When the student seems regulated, Ms. Tang might encourage them to reflect on what they are thinking, what they may be feeling, and where it shows up in their body. In elephant breathing, Ms. Tang asks the student to stand (or sit) strong and lift their arms high as they inhale, folding their body forward as they exhale. In other words, they’re connecting their whole body to their breath. These activities can help the student to widen their capacity for learning and manage their behavior with intentionality. Mindful walks and exploration of the senses through nature can be a calming strategy that soothes the nervous system and takes a very short time out of class.

To better support this student experiencing anxiety, Ms. Tang utilizes an existing evidence-based practice, Coping Cat. Developed by Kendall (1994), Coping Cat is a widely disseminated program for school counselors, with demonstrated efficacy for mitigating the symptoms of anxiety (Kendall et al., 1997; Lenz, 2015). Coping Cat has been implemented internationally through culture-specific adaptations (e.g., Coping Bear, Coping Koala; Lenz, 2015). One of the essential components of the Coping Cat program includes somatic management, which teaches students relaxation techniques (Beidas et al., 2010). Knowing the importance of movement- and mindfulness-based interventions for this student, Ms. Tang adds these in the student’s official MTSS behavioral/academic plan, which includes movement breaks throughout the day, access to the school obstacle course hallway, and weekly sessions practicing and learning movement-based mindfulness interventions and access to Coping Cat.

Recommendations for Application: Fidelity and Feasibility

In a systematic review of literature on the school-based implementation of mindfulness-based interventions (N = 31), Emerson and colleagues (2019) identified numerous concerns related to effective implementation in schools, including feasibility and integrity. The measurement of feasibility within most of the studies was limited to student and teacher satisfaction, and did not consider organizational-level factors, such as the school goals and culture. Further, several studies included within the review noted the forced adaptation of the mindfulness-based intervention by shortening the intervention to fit within the constraints on schools’ time and curriculum (Emerson et al., 2019). Teacher training and competence was also insufficiently considered across the reviewed literature.

However, the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions and their impact on student development and achievement are evident, including increased school engagement (Frank et al., 2017) and decreased student stress and anxiety (Bazzano et al., 2018). With proper support and knowledge, school counselors can effectively implement mindfulness-based interventions within the MTSS framework and overcome potential feasibility concerns. To limit the challenges of implementation and increase fidelity, we provide several recommendations in alignment with the findings of Emerson et al. (2019). Best practices encourage school counselors to receive the proper training and knowledge of the mindfulness-based intervention, understand the concepts of challenge by choice (Chase, 2015) and comfort zones (Kiknadze & Leary 2021), receive buy-in from administration, practice first before implementing with students, determine the needs of their school (informed by data), research the best way to teach and facilitate a mindfulness-based intervention given the culture and needs of their school, determine the best way to administer and collect data to determine its effectiveness within the school, share scripts and training for other adults who will assist with implementation, and provide opportunities for students to practice these skills at school and at home, including through communication with family members.

To implement and sustain mindfulness-based interventions in the school setting, school counselors need to understand the intervention and receive the necessary training to implement with fidelity. The school culture and values are likely to impact both teacher and student engagement with the intervention (Emerson et al., 2019), so important factors in the intervention include its relevance to the needs of the school, selection driven by data, and the unique needs of the student setting and population. If the mindfulness-based intervention requires additional facilitators (i.e., teachers, staff), school counselors can develop a strategy for training inexperienced or new facilitators before delivering the program. Training should extend beyond just the script and a “how to” of implementation, and inform facilitators of the purpose and benefits of mindfulness, including the key components of choice and nonjudgment.

School counselors can also work with administrators and other stakeholders to determine the appropriate means of implementation and assessment of the mindfulness-based intervention (duration, data collection, and time). Emerson et al. (2019) suggested that any adaptations of an intervention should be meant to help the targeted population, not to be at the expense of their exclusion. School counselors can also be intentional in collaborating with teachers and families, including teacher training on the impact of mindfulness on students’ behavior and academic performance, and the importance of mindfulness at home for families and parents. When mindfulness is infused as a school-wide standard, not just a Tier 2 or 3 intervention, the entire school and community can feel its positive effects.

Using Mindfulness: Key Questions for Reflection

We know that school counselors can use mindfulness-based interventions to help support their students’ mental health and their ability to self-regulate. For some school counselors, such interventions may already exist within their MTSS framework or their comprehensive school counseling program, but for others, just the word “mindfulness” can feel overwhelming. Regardless of their comfort level, engaging in active self-reflection regarding their perceptions and understanding of mindfulness is important for school counselors. The questions we provide come from our own self-reflexivity and experiences implementing mindfulness in schools, and are informed by the literature on mindfulness (Cleveland, 2016; Lemberger-Truelove et al., 2021; Villasanta & Ofreneo, 2022). The purpose of these guiding questions is to help school counselors reflect on their views of mindfulness, their student needs, and the overall school climate.

Self-Reflection Questions

1. How do I understand mindfulness as my own person?

a. How can I engage in my own practice of mindfulness so that I can best lead?

b. How does my understanding of mindfulness align (or not align) with the practices and values of my school?

c. How can I incorporate mindfulness within my school in a way that is culturally responsive and honors the origins of mindfulness?

2. How will my students benefit from mindfulness-based interventions in my school?

a. What are the mental health needs of my students?

b. Are these needs rooted in relevant school-wide data?

c. How would mindfulness-based interventions meet these needs?

d. How can I collect data to determine the impact of such an intervention?

3. How might mindfulness-based interventions be used to support students who have experienced discrimination?

4. How can I use mindfulness-based interventions to support students’ cultural identities and lived experiences?

a. How can I better support students who experience discrimination either in or outside of the school environment?

b. How can I work toward creating a mindful school that is inclusive of all identities?

c. How can I adapt and modify these interventions to ensure accessibility for all students?

d. How can I ensure student choice (challenge by choice) and voice (comfort zones) with mindfulness-based interventions in my school?

5. What is my comfort level with implementing mindfulness-based interventions?

a. Do I feel comfortable to lead a mindfulness-based intervention on my own?

b. What support do I need from my school and administration?

c. How can I access and obtain continued professional development and learning regarding mindfulness and movement?

We encourage school counselors and other readers to take the time to reflect on these questions. When implementing any intervention, school counselors need to feel comfortable in providing the service, understand its benefits, and have support from administrators and stakeholders. Through active reflection and self-awareness, school counselors can take the beginning steps to create a more mindful school.

Conclusion

With K–12 student mental health needs on the rise after educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, school counselors’ knowledge of how to lead schools in creating safe, effective learning environments is more important than ever. Movement and mindfulness, both evidence-based practices, can help students and adults regulate the nervous system and allow students to be present and engaged learners. Our hope is that readers can use the information and interventions in this article to better understand the benefits of mindfulness and movement, and ultimately implement mindfulness-based intervention strategies within the three tiers of MTSS with fidelity and feasibility. With proper support and knowledge, school counselors can effectively align mindfulness-based interventions within appropriate tiered services and overcome those feasibility concerns.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iDs

Rachel Saunders

Bethani Cogburn

Author Biographies

Rachel Saunders, Ph.D., is a research fellow and instructor at Clemson University in Clemson, SC. Email: rmsaund@clemson.edu

Bethani Cogburn is a core candidate assistant professor at Naropa University in Boulder, CO.

Nhat Nguyen is a doctoral candidate at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, OH.

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