District 88 shares important information/reminders regarding mental health and social-emotional programs and services

At District 88, the safety, health and well-being of our students and staff is our No. 1 priority.

We know building relationships precedes learning, and we continue to focus on connecting with all students through offering a variety of mental health and social-emotional programs and services. These include:

  • Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) teams: This group consists of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, deans and nurses, who are always available to speak with and help students.

  • Elyssa’s Mission SOS Signs of Suicide: Freshmen and juniors participate in this screening annually. This program educates students on how to identify signs of depression and suicide in themselves and their peers, while training adults to recognize at-risk students and take appropriate action. 

  • PBIS: We have been a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) school district since 2007. This program teaches students expected behaviors, rules and what it means to be an Addison Trail Blazer and a Willowbrook Warrior. The goal is to develop a positive school climate through creating common language and standards.

  • Partnerships on campus: District 88 collaborates with outside agencies as well, and they come on campus to ensure students have the necessary resources. Since the 2022-23 school year, we have partnered with Northeast DuPage Family and Youth Services (NEDFYS) to provide supplemental counseling services and Serenity House, an alcohol and substance-abuse treatment center.

  • Eight free sessions through ReferralGPS: We also have secured grant funding to provide ReferralGPS, a free, web-based service that assists District 88 students, staff and families in finding local treatment providers for mental health and substance use needs. Participants can receive up to eight sessions at no cost.

  • Hotlines: District 88 follows the “If You See Something, Say Something” national campaign, and we know fostering a welcoming environment is the first step to a safe school. If students and staff members know they’re valued and feel a sense of belonging, it helps establish a safe place of learning. Bullying of any kind is not tolerated at District 88, and incidents should be reported immediately to a school or district staff member. There also is a bullying hotline at each school for anyone who wishes to make an anonymous report.

For questions or more information about District 88’s mental health and social-emotional supports, go to www.dupage88.net/Supports, or contact District 88 Assistant Superintendent for Student Programs and Services Erica Craig at ecraig@dupage88.net or 630-458-4542.