An increasing number of PK-12 students need mental health support. While a broad group of professionals (e.g., teachers, administrators, counselors, psychologists, social workers, families) may be involved in school-based mental health and well-being work, not all are trained mental health experts well-versed in the nuances of implementing the resources provided. In this manuscript, we share three vignettes describing instances across our study of teacher preparedness for wellness work in which a lack of a common lexicon emerged as a barrier. By describing cross-disciplinary lexicon challenges, we highlight the need for a universal definition of and lexicon for building a robust mental health and well-being support system for students. Without a consistent way of communicating, educators face challenges with designing effective teacher induction and professional development for mental health and well-being work and difficulty in enacting wellness practices.
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