Moreno Valley USD Wellness and Safety Initiative

The Moreno Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) seeks to create a systemic learner-centered safe environment that engages our stakeholders (students, staff, and the community) through expanded mental health support services, National Behavior Intervention Team Association (NABITA) training and certification for all security staff, an anonymous mobile/web reporting application for all stakeholders, and the development and implementation of a District  Social and Emotional Learning Plan engaging training specialists from every site. All are necessary to prevent violence, increase intervention, and promote goodwill throughout the District and in the community.  MVUSD is a large, diverse, and proactive public school district in California that supports purposeful, research-based, sustainable professional development. This MVUSD Wellness and Safety Initiative will improve social-emotional wellness and reduce school violence by addressing the overlooked signals (Farr, 2019) that can lead to school violence. Partnerships will include CASEL to train and guide the District in developing an SEL Plan which will utilize the National SEL Framework and the California Department of Education SEL Standards. TNG Consulting Services, recommended by NABITA, will lead the certification training for all security staff and a Master Class for the Threat Assessment Team. Growth Point Technologies will develop a custom ARS. The Riverside County Family Justice Center, serving in collaboration with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, will provide full-time staffing and direct services in the areas of trauma-informed practices, mental wellness, and behavioral health services. Educational Resource Consultants will serve as independent evaluators for the collection of project performance measures. All partnerships bring sustainability components to the District in actuating autonomously beyond this three-year project resulting in a quality replicable model. Through this journey, MVUSD has gained vital insights into the challenges and the incredible potential for purposeful training, sustainable transformation, and prevention of school violence.