May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time when schools spotlight the importance of student wellbeing. But truly supporting students’ emotional and mental health takes more than spirit weeks or guest speakers. It takes year-round systems, tools, and teamwork. Many districts have implemented student monitoring software to respond to student safety and wellness risks, and strengthen student mental health support. But these tools are often managed like other edtech. When that happens, powerful features that can help schools support their students’ mental health and wellness may go underused.
To get the most out of student monitoring, a more collaborative approach is needed. Student wellness monitoring like Securly Aware shouldn’t be managed by a sole team, but utilized collaboratively: a shared ownership between IT Teams and Student Services Teams working as partners.
When Student Wellness Monitoring Is Managed like Other Edtech, Mental Health Takes a Back Seat
Many districts first implemented student activity monitoring software to detect online threats and concerning behaviors. Naturally, IT teams took the lead: evaluating solutions, managing implementation, and handling alerts.
But the latest generation of student monitoring – like Securly Aware – goes far beyond risk detection. These tools support earlier identification and intervention of wellness risks by offering proactive mental health support features, including:
- Integrated Case Management: Streamline how student cases are tracked and resolved so no alert slips through the cracks.
- Wellness Levels: Real-time insight into each student’s current wellness based on online activity trends.
- ThinkTwice: A real-time nudge that encourages students to reconsider harmful messages before sending them.
- Wellness Widget: A proactive pop-up that connects students directly to trusted adults and mental health resources.
These features help prevent issues from escalating and are best managed by professionals trained to respond to students’ emotional needs: your Student Services team.
How IT & Student Services Can Partner to Strengthen Student Mental Health Support
When IT and Student Services collaborate on student wellness monitoring, schools can shift from reactive alerting to proactive student support. This partnership enables:
- A streamlined response from alert to resolution: Integrated Case Management makes it easier for Student Services teams to track, manage, and close the loop on student wellness alerts, ensuring no concern is missed and every student receives the support they need.
- Smarter use of AI to reach the right students faster: By tapping into Aware’s sentiment analysis and natural language processing, Student Services teams can respond to real needs quickly – even with limited resources.
- Full use of monitoring capabilities: Wellness Levels aren’t just numbers. They offer early insight into students who need support and help prioritize counseling efforts.
- A more responsive alert system: When counselors or social workers help configure thresholds and workflows, alerts are better aligned with student needs and reduce noise for IT.
- Increased student agency: With the Wellness Widget embedded directly into the learning environment, Student Services can promote help-seeking behaviors and track what resources resonate.
- Behavior change in real time: ThinkTwice helps guide student choices in the moment. Student Services teams can follow up with education and positive reinforcement.
- Extra support when it matters most: With Securly On-Call, districts can extend their team with 24/7 alert review by trained professionals – including former educators and clinicians – who notify you of high-risk situations within five minutes.
Why Student Wellness Monitoring Should Matter to IT
If you’re leading your district’s IT strategy, you’ve likely worked hard to choose and configure tools like Securly Aware. But if your Student Services team isn’t fully leveraging these tools for mental health support, you may be leaving value on the table – and vulnerable students at risk.
Partnering together ensures:
- Student Services is empowered to use AI efficiently, enabling them to focus their time where it’s needed most.
- You’re not the sole responder to alerts; they can be routed to those best equipped to respond
- Your district is prioritizing both student safety and student mental health
- You’re getting the most out of your monitoring investment
When you work together, you help shift your district from a reactive to a preventative model, creating a stronger, more sustainable support system for all students.
How to Build a Strong IT–Student Services Partnership
Not sure how to involve your Student Services team in the technology conversation? Start with these simple steps:
- Bring Student Services to the Table
Invite them to explore how they could use Securly Aware’s insights – from case management to proactive features like the Wellness Widget and ThinkTwice. - Define Roles & Workflows
Collaborate on who handles different alert types, who monitors Wellness Levels, and how to respond to incidents involving bullying, self-harm, or critical risks. Don’t forget to organize OUs and ensure there’s scheduling coverage to keep eyes on alerts throughout the day. - Review the Data Together
Set a regular cadence to review Wellness Level trends and alert history jointly. As you gain a shared understanding of what the data reveals, the next steps will become clear and enable better decision-making.
Rethink Your Approach to Student Activity Monitoring
Mental Health Awareness Month should provide more than a one-time focus on students’ mental health. It’s better thought of as a reminder that your students’ wellbeing needs consistent attention all year long. It’s a heavy responsibility, but it’s a little easier to shoulder when it’s shared.
Securly Aware gives schools the tools to confidently and effectively support their students’ safety and wellness every day. And to realize its full potential, IT and Student Services must work together. When technology and trained professionals intersect, students get the support they truly need.
Want to strengthen your support for student mental health and wellness? Check out these resources:
