top of page

DBT Skills in Schools

Getting Started:

Explicit instructions for teaching the skills—mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness—are provided in 30 lesson plans, complete with numerous reproducibles: 99 handouts, a diary card, and three student tests. Training and lesson plans for the delivery of DBT Skills in Schools is included in the manual and is also available through the developers of DBT Skills in Schools. 

 

Go to the DBT Skills in Schools site to register for training or order the manual. Available trainings can be found via the banner at the top of their page.

DBT in Schools logo.jfif

Mental Health Literacy Component Inventory

Understanding how to foster and maintain positive mental health: ADDRESSED

Understanding mental health disorders and their treatments: NOT ADDRESSED

Decreasing stigma: ADDRESSED

Understanding how to seek help effectively: ADDRESSED

Learning Standard Inventory

Based on learning standards provided by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Compare & contrast emotional, mental + behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders

Describe how self-harm or suicide impacts other people

Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide

YES

NO

NO

Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns

NO

Describe laws related to minors accessing mental health care

NO

Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health

YES

Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A). Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills have been demonstrated to be effective in helping adolescents manage difficult emotional situations, cope with stress, and make better decisions. From leading experts in DBT and school-based interventions, this unique manual offers the first nonclinical application of DBT skills. The book presents an innovative social-emotional learning curriculum designed to be taught by general education teachers or other school personnel in grades 6-12. Explicit instructions for teaching the skills—mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness—are provided in 30 lesson plans, complete with numerous reproducibles: 99 handouts, a diary card, and three student tests.

Materials, Evidence and Implementation

SUPPORT MATERIALS

•Resources/Materials: DBT Skills in Schools: Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A) 2016. Guilford Press
•Fidelity Measure: Yes, Curriculum developers can provide observation checklists to schools.
•Student learning measure: Yes, post lesson module tests and answer keys.

EVIDENCE

- 2 Studies (peer-reviewed)
- Quasi-Experimental
- 72 female Irish High School Students (15-16 yrs old)

- 94 US 9th grade students (42 in treatment condition, 52 in control condition)

- pretest/posttest nonequivalent groups quasi-experimental design
- For students receiving DBT STEPS-A intervention, there was a significant improvement for emotion symptom index and internalizing problems (p<.0125; Study 2) and self-reported social resilience, emotion regulation difficulties, and understanding and acceptance of DBT skills (Study 1).

IMPLEMENTATION

Program Material Cost: $45 per teacher (manual)
Modality:  Classroom Curriculum
Setting:  Ideally, health and wellness classes. However, it can be taught in any class or as a stand alone class.

Grade level(s): Middle and HS
Who delivers the program: Teacher, Social Worker, School Psychologist, Counselor
Qualifications/Training needed?: Qualifications, No / Optional training, Yes
Training Description: Optional costs can include training on implementation of curriculum. Although not required, many do choose to attend training provided by DBT in Schools, LLC to enhance their overall understanding of the curriculum, the skills taught, and how to teach them to students. 

•Virtual option: Yes
•Length: 30  'sessions', 50 minutes per 'session'

 

Getting Started:

Explicit instructions for teaching the skills—mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness—are provided in 30 lesson plans, complete with numerous reproducibles: 99 handouts, a diary card, and three student tests. Training and lesson plans for the delivery of DBT Skills in Schools is included in the manual and is also available through the developers of DBT Skills in Schools. 

 

Go to the DBT Skills in Schools site to register for training or order the manual. Available trainings can be found via the banner at the top of their page.

DBT in Schools logo.jfif
bottom of page