Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) spent over two decades researching the importance of social and learning (SEL). CASEL's (2020b) research revealed that the implementation of evidence-based SEL programs led to an 11% gain in student achievement, fewer behavior issues, reduced dropout rates, and decreases in mental…

The number of students struggling with chronic absenteeism, while on the rise prior to COVID-19, appears to have increased dramatically since the onset of the pandemic. This dissertation explores the challenges faced in a suburban middle school in Western New York throughout and following the COVID-19 shutdown. Data from the district's student…

Research into an educator's ability to identify warning signs or intervene with suicidal students primarily focused on the perceptions of educators. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of educators from middle and junior high schools' ability to identify warning signs and intervene with suicidal students. The…

Background: Since returning to in-person instruction after the emergence of COVID-19 schools have seen a dramatic increase in the number of students chronically absent, with data indicating a greater increase for low-income, Black, and Hispanic students. Given the role of school attendance in both promoting positive educational outcomes as well as…

Comprehensive programmes to help reduce substance misuse/mental illness in youth should combine Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). EMPATHY, an SBIRT programme, was part of a school-based prevention initiative to reduce symptoms of substance misuse in youth in Grades 6-12, along with reducing symptoms of depression,…

Schools are well positioned to provide access to youth mental health services, but implementing effective programs that promote emotional and behavioral functioning in school settings is complicated by the poor fit of interventions developed in research settings to complex school contexts. The current study formed a research-practice partnership…

Bullying is a pervasive problem that impacts children and youth in schools involved as perpetrators, victims, and bystanders. This paper synthesizes findings from the empirical literature, including meta-analyses, to examine the evidence for bullying prevention and intervention approaches with attention to developmental levels (preschool,…

Children with ADHD comprise one of the most common groups requiring supports from school mental health providers, yet current school structures and special education policies are not optimally situated to support and adapt to the inconsistent behaviors that are the hallmark of children with ADHD. The present paper reviews and synthesizes…

School resource officers (SROs) are being increasingly employed in schools to respond to incidents of school violence and to help address safety concerns among students and staff. While previous research on school safety and crisis teams has examined the role of school mental health professionals' and administrators, fewer studies have evaluated…

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) such as cutting, burning, self-hitting, and abrading is currently occurring at high rates in middle schools, high schools, and universities. This article focuses on understanding and managing NSSI strategically within middle and high school settings. The need for, and specific components of, a thorough staff training…

Character is vital force for positive development and societal well-being. Character strengths play important roles in positive youth development, not only as broad-protective factors, preventing or mitigating psychopathology and problems, but also as enabling conditions that promote thriving and flourishing. Recent research findings show that…

Fifty-three school counselors and administrators employed in middle and high school settings were surveyed regarding their thoughts about school districts working collaboratively with non-school mental health professionals to respond to the mental health needs of students. In addition, the survey sought to understand what school counselors and…