New York State's new mental health literacy curriculum is now in effect for the 2018-19 school year. As it has rolled out, there has been some confusion about whether social and emotional learning programs, curricula, strategies, and practices are enough to satisfy this new law.

In many cases, SEL efforts should be seen as complementary to mental health education. These areas of education affect children K-12, and they are both skills/sets of competencies that people develop throughout their lives, however there are specific education requirements within the new mental health law. Consult the state's comprehensive guide for more information. In the meantime, here's a quick reference sheet to help you get started and understand the differences between social and emotional learning, and the NYS mental health literacy requirement. 

Are you using an SEL curriculum which you believe may satisfy these requirements? We would love to hear about it. Do you have questions about starting or continuing your SEL work? Let us help!