The Model.
Humans are complex, and so is mental health.
The Socio-ecological Model (SEM) is a tool that demonstrates how people influence and are influenced 
by a complex set of social and environmental factors that interact. Our SEM considers the whole person and mental health across all stages of life. 
This public health approach to mental health helps all children and families thrive mentally, socially and emotionally, with or without diagnoses.
This SEM is a tool to identify all the ways we can create change to achieve this goal.
The Urgency is Now.
The Need.
Supporting Parents During Times of Stress
A University-Community educator used the model with parents to brainstorm ways to support their own mental flourishing during times of stress. A deep exploration of the model offered insight about why parents experienced struggle, which situations are beyond their control to change and where they could focus to support their healing.
Broadening Counseling Frameworks
Researchers utilized the model in a manuscript to explore wellness for populations often ignored in academic literature, such as individuals adding a child to their family. The framework helped equip mental health counselors with a holistic view, ensuring they could maximize wellness by considering factors at every level of the socio-ecological spectrum.
Informing Global Health Research
A doctoral researcher applied the model’s socio-ecological framing to study adolescent mental health in an urban international setting. Building on this structure, they developed a “critical ecological model” to examine how structural inequalities and systemic marginalization influenced youth experiences during a global pandemic.
The Mental Health and Well-being SEM is brought to you by:
