In August 2025, Brooke County Schools began implementing the Second Step curriculum in every school’s classroom. This ensures that all students receive consistent instruction in social-emotional learning, including vital skills like empathy, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. This school wide approach creates a shared language and set of expectations that students carry throughout their day. Second Step programs help students build social-emotional skills—like nurturing positive relationships, managing emotions, and setting goals—so they can thrive in school and in life. It has been approved by the West Virginia Department of Human Services’ Bureau for Behavioral Health for use in grant-funded expanded school mental health initiatives.
Ashley Flaherty of Youth Services System, the ESMH Coordinator for Brooke Middle School, states:
“This has strengthened my ability to support students more effectively, as I can use my small lunch groups to reinforce the same concepts they are learning during their homeroom lessons. Because students are already familiar with the material, our time together can focus on deeper discussion, practice, and real-life application, making interventions more meaningful and impactful.”