Watch the Dr. Clay Cook Whole Child Virtual Summit Presentation

Dr. Clayton Cook presented on April 15, 2020 at the Whole Child Virtual Summit, which is hosted by Character Strong. In his talk, Dr. Cook discussed the importance of implementation science and the use of the whole child approach. He identified implementation issues and how investment in “tier-1” or the first level of mental health support all students should expect can lead to better student success overall.

Dr. Cook says, “The need to focus on a whole-child approach has been elevated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures, but school systems must focus on those with the greatest needs for social, emotional, physical health, and educational support first.”

To meet the holistic needs of children during COVID-19 and beyond, Cook recommends school systems:

• Find ways to intentionally reach out and maintain healthy social connections with children
• Provide emotional supports to cope with the current situation
• Be innovative in developing ways for children to continue to access educational experiences
• Provide caregivers with resources to create consistent, predictable routines
• Increase caregivers access to needed resources

Click to Watch the Video 

Dr. Clay Cook