Wellness Rooms are a Key Element of a trauma informed school

Wellness Rooms are a cost-effective Tier I space where all students are able to learn and practice emotional regulation skills.

When used in partnership with a restorative, trauma-informed framework, they can improve behavior and reduce office referrals and counselor visits.

ThriveWell Schools has over 10 years of experience building Wellness Rooms that align with the neuroscience of self-regulation.

Let us help you design and launch a Wellness Room for your site.

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  • purpose

    Wellness Rooms are a scalable, cost-effective mental health support that:

    Serve all TK–12 students as a Tier I support

    Build emotional awareness and self-regulation

    Reduce classroom disruptions, office referrals, and counselor visits

  • Why

    Student behavior often reflects emotional overwhelm—not defiance. When students learn to notice early signs of stress and use calming strategies, behavior improves and learning time is protected.

    Wellness Rooms help students:

    Recognize emotional cues

    Choose calming strategies

    Return to class ready to learn

  • how

    Wellness Rooms are an evidence-based approach aligned with CASEL’s SEL framework.

    They provide safe spaces for students to reset, support emotional regulation school-wide, and strengthen existing SEL and mental health supports.

WHAT TEACHERS SAY

“Our school has become a place where students feel loved and welcomed. They know they have a place to feel safe (wellness-room)”
— Elementary School Teacher
“Students have an opportunity to get the support they need to identify triggers, and coping strategies; ensuring they are better prepared for class and ready to learn.”
— High School Teacher
“Students do better when they come back from the wellness room. Better engagement and better focus in completing work.”
— Middle School Teacher
“Students return to class after utilizing the wellness room in a far better mental state then they were when they left, which gives them the opportunity to do their best learning.”
— Elementary School Teacher
“Kids are making use of the wellness room instead of being sent to the office. Less power struggle for teachers.”
— Middle School Teacher
“The difference between when they leave and come back is remarkable!”
— High School Teacher

Wellness Rooms are a quiet, supervised space that offer:

  • a 5-15 minute self-regulation break

  • Access to therapeutic activities [e.g. sensory tools, calming visuals, music]

  • Staff trained with trauma-informed practices to teach students alternate behaviors and support student self-regulation

    • voluntary student support

    • universal access regardless of behavior

    • staff suggested or student requested

    • self-regulation focused

    • punishment or a timeout

    • incentives or rewards

    • substitute for suspension

    • teacher break

    • reflection room/on-campus suspension

    • socializing or group activities

Building a Wellness Room

Creating an effective Wellness Room takes more than furniture—it requires thoughtful planning.

ThriveWell supports every step, from choosing the right location and designing the space to providing training and data tools.

  • ThriveWell helps schools choose evidence-based furniture and sensory tools for their Wellness Rooms. Research shows that items like rocking or spinning seating, weighted blankets, calming lighting, and specific music can reduce anxiety and support nervous system regulation. Every component is selected for a clear therapeutic purpose.

  • Wellness Rooms need the right infrastructure to work effectively. ThriveWell provides trainings, tools, and templates to integrate them into a comprehensive SEL framework, including:

    • Staff training

    • Data collection and sharing templates

    • MTSS/SEL integration

    • Onboarding for students, staff, and administrators

  • ThriveWell helps schools collect data to guide funding, improve implementation, and measure impact.
    Data tools include:

    • Wellness Room Usage Log: Tracks who uses the room, when, why, and which zones, helping monitor patterns, staff use, and budget needs.

    • Student Surveys: Age-appropriate self-reports that show how well students are learning self-regulation skills.

    • Staff Surveys: Capture staff feedback on the room’s impact on student behavior.

  • ThriveWell consults with school leaders to make the most of limited funds. We help prioritize essential Wellness Room components, distinguish “nice-to-have” items, and maximize existing resources for the greatest impact.

What’s included with a

ThriveWell Partnership

01
inventory

  • Site-wide gap analysis of existing and needed mental health supports

02
Budgeting

  • Customized options by available funding

03
Templates

  • Wellness Room Pass

  • Wellness Room Agreements

  • Data Collection/Usage Tracker

  • Staff and Student Surveys

04
Trainings

  • Wellness Room staff

  • Teachers

  • Administrators

  • Students

FAQs

  • At launch and annually, students tour the WR and learn rules: no socializing, no phones, no academic tasks. Clear structure curbs misuse quickly (“Disneyland effect”).

  • Staff complete WR Passes that include checkboxes: “Ready to return” or “Needs more support.” Teachers are notified accordingly.

  • Wellness Room Staff are trained to refer students for additional support and flag patterns that may require Tier II or Tier III interventions, communicate with administrators, counselors, and/or COST.

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