Chapter 10: Creating Positive School Cultures: Enhancing Student Wellness and Mental Health Through Forgiveness and Healing Interventions

Mental health disorders are prevalent in school-aged youth and have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter discusses how all school stakeholders must work together to change school culture in a way that creates a safe environment. To start, Tier 1 interventions are set forth to promote a positive culture in the school environment. This is supplemented by Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions for students who need extra support. A literature review is provided to encourage the use of healing centered engagement and the forgiveness process model in P-16 settings. In applying these methods, schools can create a climate where students are able to build up their socioemotional skills and resilience, while fostering and holding true to their own intersecting identities and being conscious of the social climate. This allows students to become more resilient and promotes academic, physical, social, and emotional wellness in the face of conflict and other stressors through all walks of life.