The REST Program is a Journey Mental Health Center program for youth in Dane County that partners with schools and community mental health agencies to build resiliency and promote recovery for youth impacted by stress and trauma. The program identifies students needing mental health support, connects them to appropriate school or community-based intervention(s), and increases schools’ capacities to support students impacted by stress and trauma.

The REST Program invites students affected by traumatic stress to participate in a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) group. Through an equity-centered and resiliency-focused approach, CBITS aims to increase coping skills and reduce symptoms of traumatic stress for students in middle and high school.

The REST Program is also piloting the Healing Ethnic and Racial Trauma (HEART) group in 2021-2022. The HEART group provides a sanctuary space for BIPOC students to process and reflect upon racialized encounters, while cultivating resilience and authentic connection with peers and adult facilitators who have shared experiences.

Want a break-down of program implementation by month? Take a look at this CHECKLIST

Month	REST Program Action
September	Screening & Consult Training Send out Passive Consent forms
October	Screening Student Consults Returning Facilitator Training
November	Curriculum Training Complete Student Consults Student Consult Review Meeting Send out Active Consent forms Refer for other interventions Begin CBITS groups (end of month)
December	Begin CBITS groups
January	Continue CBITS Groups (MMSD High Schools only) Round 2 Screening first week of January (MMSD High Schools only) Round 2 Complete Consults (MMSD High Schools only)) Round 2 Student Consult Review Meeting (MMSD High Schools only) Round 2 Active Consent forms
February	Complete CBITS Groups Re-screen (within two weeks of the end of the group) End-of-group review meeting (with REST Manager) Follow up support for group members if needed (MMSD High Schools only) Begin Round 2 CBITS Groups
March	Complete CBITS Groups (if not already completed) Re-screen (within two weeks of the end of the group) End-of-group review meeting (with REST Manager) Follow up support for group members if needed
April
May	Final post-intervention screener for CBITS group participants
June