Partners in Behavioral Health Sciences (PIBHS) has developed a teaching toolkit to assist K-12 teachers in presenting age-appropriate science-based information on depression to students through an educational standards-based (PDF) curriculum. The toolkit includes lesson plans, teacher’s guides, student handouts, enrichment activities, suggested test items, and additional resources (details). Teachers of psychology, biology, anatomy and physiology, physical education, and other health-related subjects will find these to be valuable supplements to their course materials. In addition, counselors, school nurses, and other school-based healthcare professionals may find them to be useful in their work with students.

The design of the PIBHS Depression Teaching Toolkit is modular, allowing teachers the flexibility to meet students’ needs and curriculum requirements as their schedules allow. It consists of eight lessons covering general topics related to neurobiology and stigma of mental disorders. Each lesson is designed to be completed in about 1 ½ hours, although some of the enrichment activities may require two class periods.

The PIBHS Depression Teaching Toolkit has undergone extensive review and pilot testing by professional educators and high school students. Based on feedback from these collaborators, we have determined that its content best addresses the needs of high school students in the following courses: Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology, Introduction to Psychology, AP Biology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Advanced Science and Theoretical Research, and Health Education. Other courses for which the Toolkit may serve as a supplement include Family and Consumer Sciences, Human Development, Child Development, and Physical Education.

The toolkit has recently undergone an independent evaluation by faculty members at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) School of Social Work, and will soon be available for distribution. Information on availability and distribution of the toolkit--as well as supplemental resources--will be posted on this web site, so please visit us again for updates.

Please contact Chris Rule at 660-7518 for information about using the toolkit in your school.