Student Well-Being & Special Education Blog

Frustrated teenage young woman female student with head in hands in hallway in school

eLuma’s 2025 State of Student Mental Health Report Calls for Sustainable, System-Wide Solutions in K–12 Schools

The Student Mental Health Crisis Isn’t Going Away. It’s Time to Act. For years, schools have worked tirelessly to respond to what many believed was a temporary mental health crisis tied to the isolation and upheaval of the pandemic. Educators and families hoped that as classrooms reopened and routines returned, students would regain their footing. But the latest data tells a different story. According to eLuma’s 2025 State of Student Mental Health Report, the crisis hasn’t eased in the five years since COVID-19 shut down schools nationwide. Nearly six in ten school-based providers say student mental health has worsened over the past year, while only four percent report improvement. Anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges continue to rise, shaping students’ ability to learn, connect, and thrive. These findings make one thing clear: what we are facing is not a temporary setback. Schools are facing a long-term shift that demands immediate, coordinated, and sustained action. Among those who have witnessed this shift firsthand is Kay Kelly, Mental Health Clinical Services Specialist for eLuma and an experienced licensed school psychologist. Kay has worked in school-based mental health for over a decade, providing direct services, consultation, and leadership to support students’ mental health needs.

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Early Identification, Real Impact: The Case for Universal Screening in Education

How eLuma and SSIS are helping schools strengthen resilience and student well-being through unified systems of support While national headlines question whether school mental health screenings “turn students into patients,” schools are doing everything they can to support growing student mental and behavioral health challenges in the face of limited resources and ongoing staffing shortages. Educators and providers report an ongoing trend: students are increasingly stressed, anxious, and disconnected from learning. Universal behavioral health screening provides schools with a proactive way to identify concerns and respond before small challenges become barriers to learning. National organizations like NASP recommend universal screening within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) to ensure students receive the right level of support as early as possible. Still, some remain uncertain about how these tools fit into the larger picture of student support. The real question isn’t whether schools should screen students, but rather whether they have the systems in place to act on what they find. When used effectively, universal screening is not a medical tool; it is an educational strategy for identifying social and behavioral health needs in a scalable, equitable manner that improves academic outcomes for all students. Key Takeaways Early Identification Matters: A

The Critical Role of Universal Screeners in the MTSS Framework

Every student deserves the chance to thrive—but ensuring that happens isn’t easy. As an educational leader, you juggle countless challenges to provide equitable support for all students. A Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), paired with early identification and intervention, can help schools cut through the complexity and give students the academic, social, and behavioral support they need to succeed. A key component of MTSS is the use of universal screeners, which help pave the way for more effective and equitable support. The Role of Universal Screeners in MTSS Universal screeners are systematic assessment tools that provide comprehensive insights into students’ competencies across various domains. These tools are crucial in evaluating the effectiveness of Tier 1 instruction, identifying at-risk students, and shaping targeted intervention strategies. They offer educators a proactive way to address student challenges and allocate resources more effectively, fostering equity and improving outcomes. “While the concept of universal screening is not new, its importance, particularly in the realm of social behavior and emotional competencies, has gained prominence since the onset of the pandemic, with a significant focus on students in need of social behavior support.” – Brandy Samuell, M.Ed., Director of Mental Health and Related Services for eLuma Key Functions of

Speech IEP Goals: Speech Therapy Made Simple

Speech IEP (Individualized Education Program) goals are a key part of a speech-language pathologist’s (SLP) role in schools. These goals support a wide range of needs that shift with age, learning stage, and each child’s unique communication profile. But writing clear and effective goals can be challenging. SLPs often have to determine specific areas of need, make sure goals are measurable, and collaborate with both the student’s family and school team. Key Takeaways Speech IEP goals are tailored to each child, depending on their age, educational needs, and specific language challenges (speaking, reading, and writing). Goals need to be clear, measurable, and time-bound to support consistent progress tracking. Using SMART strategies and a structured goal bank can make speech IEP planning easier and more effective. Why Strong Speech IEP Goals Matter Well-written goals are more than just paperwork. They give direction to therapy sessions and provide a shared understanding across the student’s IEP team. Specific, measurable goals keep services aligned with the student’s needs and support meaningful collaboration between the SLP, family, teachers, and other professionals. In this blog, we’ll walk through best practices for writing speech IEP goals, explore examples by category, and share the example goal bank to