Can you imagine the student voted “most likely to succeed” in your graduating class? This individual must have had everything going for him. They probably had good grades, were popular, had never had any problems, no health problems, and were socially and emotionally stable. However, twenty years later, after graduating, a successful entrepreneur with a beautiful wife and three children, he emotionally decides he is finished and takes his own life. Mental health problems can occur at any time with varying degrees of importance on a person's emotional stability. Factors such as socioeconomic status, biological and environmental issues all determine mental health needs. Obviously, a variety of circumstances can evoke these mental health issues. Now imagine dealing with these mental health issues and still being expected to be a normal student and conforming to your peers around you. This is what we expect from our students dealing with a variety of mental health issues. Policies and procedures are established to meet the needs of all students. Mental health issues are recognized and assessed for the best position for the student to receive an education. The public school system has the responsibility to provide free and appropriate education. The school does its best to provide a whole school approach to addressing the increasing number of mental health problems. However, mental health problems continue beyond high school. The school provides a safe environment in which students can achieve academic, social and emotional development. Leadership of a building will include effective decision making, human resource management, mission or purpose, understanding change, building relationships... middle of paper...... Works Cited Duchnowski, A.J. and Kutash, K. (2011). School reform and mental health services for emotionally disturbed students educated in urban schools. Child Education and Treatment, 34(3), 323-346. Gergar, P. G., Hamlet, H. S., & Schaefer, B. A. (2011). Students living with chronic illnesses: the role of the school counselor. Professional School Counseling, 14 (3),202-210. National Council for Education Policy. (2010). Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008. Retrieved from http://www.npbea.org.Rowling, L. (2009). Strengthening the "school" in promoting mental health in schools. Health Education, 109 (4), 357-368. Smith, C. R., Katsiyanis, A., & Ryan, J. B. (2011). Challenges in serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders: Legal and policy considerations. Behavioral disorders, 36 (3), 185-194.