Mental Health Support Team - MHST

MHST Overview

Using their Whole School Approach (WSA), the aim of the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) is the prevention, early identification and treatment of mild to moderate mental health conditions.

What does mild and moderate mental health conditions mean?

A mild mental health issue is when a person has a small number of symptoms that have a limited effect on their daily life.
A moderate mental health issue is when a person has more symptoms that can make their daily life much more difficult than usual

The MHST has Education Mental Health Practitioners or EMHPs who work in schools and colleges on the Island. They support the school to implement a Whole School Approach to mental health and wellbeing, and support the development of school policies and procedures to improve emotional health and wellbeing. They also deliver sessions with children and young people, this may be assemblies, classroom workshops and/or group work. Their work focuses on promoting resilience and helping them to develop skills and techniques to manage their emotions. In addition to the WSA in primary schools this support will include working with parents and carers. In secondary schools the support may also include 1 to 1 support. The EMHPs work within a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) framework which is an evidenced based intervention to support mild to moderate mental health conditions.

There are members of the team based in every secondary school (excluding Ryde School, St Catherine’s, St George’s and Priory) on the Island, as well as some of the primary schools.

If you would like to see a member of the MHST team at your school, please contact your Designated Mental Health Lead (DMHL).

MHST are currently based in the following schools and colleges on the Island: