Dr. Kathleen Mackenzie, LICSW, CIMHP, led Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth’s seminar “EXIT PLAN – Mapping a Way Out of the Youth Mental Health Crisis” on Tuesday, Oct. 27. (Photo Courtesy Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
LEXINGTON — Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) presented “EXIT PLAN – Mapping a Way Out of the Youth Mental Health Crisis” on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Minuteman High School in Lexington.
The three-hour seminar, led by Dr. Kathleen Mackenzie, LICSW, CIMHP, explored how schools can strengthen the everyday conditions that help students feel regulated, connected and ready to learn.
Schools today are on the front lines of the youth mental health crisis. Educators are navigating student anxiety, disengagement, attention difficulties, emotional dysregulation, avoidance and complex behavioral needs. They are also uniquely positioned to be part of the solution.
The seminar examined how sleep, digital overstimulation, dopamine, nervous system regulation and foundational health needs can influence student mood, attention, behavior and learning.
Participants explored the principle of “regulation before expectation,” including approaches to reducing power struggles, strengthening engagement and helping students return to learning while maintaining appropriate expectations and accountability. They left with practical strategies to use in their own roles, along with ideas for classroom, school and district action.
“When we understand what students need to feel safe, regulated, and connected, we create the conditions for them to thrive,” said Dr. Gregg Gilligan, principal of the Page School in the Pentucket Regional School District. “Regulation before expectation reminds us that supporting the whole child is not separate from learning; it is essential to it. Today’s conference reinforced the importance of meeting students with empathy, maintaining high expectations, and ensuring that every child has the support they need to succeed.”
For more information about the upcoming conference or other professional development opportunities, contact MPY Executive Director Margie Daniels.
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high-quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth. MPY programming reaches nearly 6,000 educators per year in Massachusetts, spread across approximately 300 districts, with more than 190 webinars and over a dozen conferences and seminars.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission. To learn more, visit: massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com.
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