Areas of Expertise
Thriving Minds offers a flexible suite of professional learning and technical assistance topics that can be delivered through a variety of service formats described above. This mix-and-match approach allows districts to select the format and content that best align with their priorities, staff capacity, and school-level needs. Each topic is grounded in evidence-based practice, designed for immediate applicability, and adaptable across multiple tiers of the MTSS framework.
SSTs
Thriving Minds supports districts in assessing, designing, and strengthening Student Support Teams (SSTs) to improve efficiency, collaboration, and equitable outcomes. While they go by many names (BEST, WIT, and SoC, just to name a few), SSTs play a critical role in connecting kids and families with the interventions they need. A highly functioning SST can make all the difference in a school, but achieving a high-functioning SST requires leadership, intentionality, skill development, and consistency. Our team has extensive experience assessing, designing, and strengthening SSTs to improve efficiency, collaboration, and outcomes for students. We are deeply familiar with the structures, processes, and data systems that make SSTs effective, and have supported districts in developing clear protocols that ensure consistent and equitable decision-making across schools.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
We bring extensive experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), one of the most effective evidence-based approaches for addressing student anxiety, depression, and trauma. Our team includes eight trained school-based clinicians and counselors with experience applying CBT principles in both individual and group settings, with an emphasis on structured, measurable, and adaptive interventions. We are adept at helping practitioners translate CBT theory into practice—building school-based Tier II CBT interventions that are data-informed, goal-oriented, and sensitive to developmental and contextual factors. Our focus is on structured, measurable, and developmentally responsive CBT in schools.
Tiered Interventions
Thriving Minds brings extensive experience both in directly implementing and supporting schools in the rollout of a wide range of tiered interventions through technical assistance and coaching. The following is a representative, though not exhaustive, list of tiered interventions that our team has expertise in providing or supporting: Tier I interventions Trauma-informed classroom practiced Curriculum and practice driven approaches to support SEL Faculty-wide mental health literacy Tier II interventions Group therapy Individual therapy Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) Solution-focused brief counseling Tier III interventions Critical incident management, including supporting students presenting with suicidal ideation Interventions designed with consideration of special education programmatic services bryt intervention
Implementing the bryt Tier 3 intervention
The Brookline Center’s bryt team provides technical assistance and professional development to help schools design, implement, and continuously strengthen short-term, intensive interventions that support students recovering from mental health disruptions and their families. Based in a dedicated room in the school, and staffed by mental health and academic professionals, the bryt Intervention combines clinically informed care, academic support, family engagement, and overall care coordination to help students transition back to school life. Data—including a 2017 peer-reviewed study—consistently demonstrate that bryt enables students and families to access care, stick to treatment, and avoid relapse or hospitalization, with over 85% of participants staying on track to graduate, compared to a 50% national dropout rate for students with serious emotional disturbances.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Our expertise lies in helping schools and districts use data to drive continuous improvement across all tiers of support. We understand how to identify and interpret meaningful MTSS data, assess intervention fidelity, and design systems for ongoing progress monitoring. Our team has supported district leaders and school teams in developing data discussion protocols, aligning data use with equity goals, and leading productive data conversations that inform decision-making. We are skilled facilitators in helping educators build confidence and fluency in using data to strengthen mental health systems.
Progress Monitoring and Measurement- Based Care
Thriving Minds supports districts in assessing, designing, and strengthening Student Support Teams (SSTs) to improve efficiency, collaboration, and equitable outcomes. While they go by many names (BEST, WIT, and SoC, just to name a few), SSTs play a critical role in connecting kids and families with the interventions they need. A highly functioning SST can make all the difference in a school, but achieving a high-functioning SST requires leadership, intentionality, skill development, and consistency. Our team has extensive experience assessing, designing, and strengthening SSTs to improve efficiency, collaboration, and outcomes for students. We are deeply familiar with the structures, processes, and data systems that make SSTs effective, and have supported districts in developing clear protocols that ensure consistent and equitable decision-making across schools.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Our team has a strong command of trauma theory and its application through Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). We have helped practitioners understand the ways trauma manifests in children and adolescents and apply TF-CBT strategies within school-based Tier II settings. We emphasize aligning interventions with the stress response system and integrating TF-CBT principles into broader MTSS and SEL frameworks. Our experience ensures educators and mental health professionals can confidently deliver trauma-informed supports that are developmentally appropriate and evidence-based.
Secondary Trauma and Adult Wellness
Our team has deep expertise in addressing secondary traumatic stress and supporting educator wellness within school systems. We understand how prolonged exposure to student trauma, chronic stress, and organizational change can affect the emotional well-being and functioning of school staff. Drawing from both research and extensive field experience, we help schools recognize the signs of secondary trauma, strengthen protective factors, and build systems that promote adult resilience and regulation. We have supported educators, school mental health practitioners, and leaders in developing practices that foster psychological safety, belonging, and collective care. Our work emphasizes helping staff identify what lies within and outside their sphere of control, use reflective practices to manage stress, and cultivate emotional regulation strategies that are sustainable over time. Through our professional learning and coaching efforts, we have guided school and district teams to embed wellness and trauma-informed principles into their daily routines and organizational culture. Our approach ensures that adults are supported in ways that allow them to show up fully for students, creating healthier, more connected, and more resilient school communities.
Cultivating a Culture of Wellness
We have significant expertise in promoting educator wellness and building organizational conditions that support adult resilience. Our team understands how stress and dysregulation impact educators’ capacity to support students, and we bring proven strategies for building habits and systems that foster collective well-being. We have guided school and district teams through reflection, peer learning, and action planning to create environments where adult wellness is prioritized as a foundation for student success. Our work consistently bridges the connection between adult regulation, relational trust, and sustainable school improvement.
Complete an interest form
Thank you for your interest in partnering with Thriving Minds to strengthen your school or district's mental health systems. Please complete the form below to help us better understand how we can work with your district, or email Amanda Chung (achung@renniecenter.org) for more information.