A strong Tier 1 school mental health approach includes universal strategies that promote mental health literacy , build student skills, reduce stigma, strengthen school connectedness, and make it easier for students to access support when they need it.
The National Center for School Mental Health describes Tier 1 mental health promotion as activities and supports designed to meet the needs of all students, regardless of their level of risk for mental health concerns. Its guidance includes areas such as mental health literacy, school climate, student and family involvement, staff well-being, implementation, and continuous improvement.
So, what does a strong Tier 1 approach actually look like?
A strong Tier 1 approach gives every student access to developmentally appropriate mental health education.
Students can learn about:
The goal isn't to turn students into mental health professionals. It is to give them enough knowledge and practical skills to recognize when something may be wrong, understand that mental health is part of overall health, and know what to do next.
The National Center for School Mental Health specifically identifies mental health literacy as an area of Tier 1 mental health promotion.
For more on what students should learn, see Erika's Lighthouse's What Is Mental Health Literacy for Students?.
Erika's Lighthouse also offers free K–12 classroom mental health education designed to build mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and encourage help-seeking.
When evaluating a Tier 1 curriculum, schools can ask: Does it provide students with information they can understand and skills that they can actually use? Does it address stigma and help-seeking? Is it developmentally appropriate and evidence-informed?
Mental health education is important, but what happens in the broader school environment matters too.
Students benefit when they feel that they:
The National Center for School Mental Health's Tier 1 guidance includes school climate and relationship-building among the areas schools can address through universal mental health promotion.
For schools, this doesn’t necessarily mean adding another initiative. It can mean examining whether existing practices consistently create opportunities for students to feel known, valued, connected, and supported.
A useful question is: Do students experience our school as a place where it is safe and acceptable to talk about mental health and ask for help?
Students shouldn't be viewed only as recipients of school mental health programming. They can also help shape it.
Appropriate Tier 1 opportunities might include:
The National Center for School Mental Health recommends involving students and families in school mental health planning and using their feedback to inform improvement.
The key is to give students an appropriate role.
Students can help promote mental health and reduce stigma, but they should not be expected to diagnose, counsel, or manage a peer's mental health crisis.
Erika's Lighthouse Empowerment Clubs are one example of a student-led approach that gives students a structured role in promoting mental health and help-seeking at school.
Schools can ask: Are we creating opportunities for students to shape how mental health is discussed and supported in our school or are we only delivering programs to them?
A comprehensive Tier 1 approach extends beyond the classroom and involves the adults who support students every day.
Families are an important part of the network surrounding students, and universal family engagement can help reinforce the messages students receive at school.
Schools can provide:
The goal isn’t simply to send families information. It is to give them practical tools and a clear understanding of how the school approaches student mental health.
Erika's Lighthouse provides Family Engagement resources that schools can use to help families start and continue conversations about mental health.
Tier 1 mental health programming also depends on the adults who create the day-to-day school environment.
A staff member doesn't need to be a mental health clinician. But they do need to understand their role as a trusted adult.
Depending on the school's approach, staff development might include:
The important question is not whether every staff member is a mental health expert. It is whether staff know how to respond when a student needs help and where to turn to for additional support.
Universal mental health promotion cannot meet every student's individual needs.
Some students will need additional support, and Tier 1 works best when there is a clear pathway to it.
For example, a student might hear a classroom lesson about depression and recognize changes in their own mood or behavior. The value of that lesson depends partly on what happens next.
Ideally, the student should know:
Who can I talk to?
Where do I go?
What happens after I ask for help?
Schools can make these pathways easier to navigate by clearly communicating:
The goal is to make the transition from universal education to additional support as clear and accessible as possible.
For more practical strategies, see 7 Ways Schools Can Encourage Student Help-Seeking for Mental Health.
A Tier 1 approach shouldn't remain static.
Schools can use data to understand what students and staff need, identify gaps, and determine whether programs are having their intended effect.
Depending on the goals of the school, this might include:
The National Center for School Mental Health recommends using data to identify strengths and needs, engage stakeholders, inform planning, and support continuous quality improvement.
The goal isn’t to collect data simply because MTSS requires it. The goal is to answer a more useful question: Are our universal supports reaching students and making a difference?
Schools can use student feedback, school climate data, program assessments, and outcome measures to identify strengths and determine where their Tier 1 approach could improve.
A strong Tier 1 approach doesn't have to mean adding seven new initiatives to an already crowded school calendar.
For example, a school might:
Provide universal mental health education → Students learn about mental health, stigma, and help-seeking.
Build opportunities for connection → Students have consistent opportunities to feel known, supported, and included.
Give students a voice → Students participate in appropriate mental health initiatives and provide feedback.
Engage families → Parents and caregivers receive resources to continue conversations at home.
Equip staff → Educators know how to respond when a student raises a mental health concern and where to refer them.
Make support pathways clear → Students know who to approach and what happens next.
Use data → The school regularly asks whether students are benefiting and where gaps remain.
The pieces don't have to be implemented in exactly this order, and no single program will meet every school's needs.
The important point is that these pieces work together. A student may learn about mental health in the classroom, recognize a concern, know which adult to approach, and receive an appropriate response because the school's universal education, staff preparation, and referral pathways are connected.
That is the difference between a collection of programs and a coordinated tier one approach.
Leaders, counselors, social workers, and educators can use this framework to assess their current approach:
| Area | Ask Your School |
Look For |
| Mental health education |
Does every student receive developmentally appropriate education? | Universal lessons and skill-building |
| Mental health literacy | Do students know how to recognize concerns and seek help? | Knowledge, stigma reduction, help-seeking skills |
| School culture | Do students have opportunities to feel connected and supported? | Belonging, relationships, inclusive practices |
| Student voice | Do students have an appropriate role in mental health initiatives? | Leadership, feedback, peer activities |
| Family engagement |
Are families part of the universal prevention strategy? | Education, resources, communication |
| Staff capacity |
Do staff understand their role? | Training, referral knowledge, clear responsibilities |
| Access to support |
Can students move to additional support when needed? |
Clear Tier 2 and Tier 3 pathways |
| Measurement | Does the school know what is working? | Surveys, evaluations, outcome data |
Rather than asking whether a school has a Tier 1 mental health program, this framework helps identify where the broader approach is strong and where there may be gaps.
Yes. Universal mental health education can be a Tier 1 support when it is provided to all students as part of a prevention and mental health promotion strategy.
The National Center for School Mental Health identifies mental health literacy as one component of Tier 1 mental health promotion. Its guidance also emphasizes that Tier 1 is broader than any single program and can include school climate, student and family engagement, staff capacity, and ongoing improvement.
Erika's Lighthouse takes this broader approach to Tier 1.
Its programs are designed to provide universal, prevention-focused mental health programming while building capacity across the school community. Erika's Lighthouse describes its full suite of Tier 1 programs as including Classroom Education, Empowerment Clubs, Family Engagement, and School Policy & Staff Training.
The organization's evidence base includes peer-reviewed research and national outcome data. Its 2019 High School Program Study found statistically significant improvements in depression knowledge and willingness to approach trusted adults at school. Its Youth Help-Seeking Around Mental Health report analyzed data from more than 33,000 students across 515 U.S. schools and found that the percentage of students comfortable talking with a trusted adult at school about mental health increased from 38% to 50% following classroom programming.
These findings illustrate the potential role of universal education within a broader Tier 1 approach: giving students a common foundation of knowledge and skills while making mental health and help seeking part of the school experience.
A strong Tier 1 approach doesn't have to be another initiative added to an already full school calendar.
It can begin with a simple question: What does every student in our school experience that supports their mental health and makes it easier to seek help?
From there, schools can look at what is already working, identify gaps, and connect the pieces.
Erika's Lighthouse provides free, universal K–12 mental health programs designed to build mental health literacy, reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking, and strengthen school communities. Its programs include Classroom Education, Empowerment Clubs, and Family Engagement, along with additional resources for schools.
Schools can also use Erika's Lighthouse's Tier 1 School Mental Health Assessment to identify strengths and opportunities within their current programming.
Explore Erika's Lighthouse's free K–12 programs and resources.