Multidisciplinary teams of school- and community-employed mental health, health, and educational staff work together in schools to offer a full continuum of mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, and treatment services and supports. Intentional teaming structures and practices are essential to ensure teams deliver effective,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public-school teachers' mental well-being. The present study surveyed a total of 4,926 public school teachers from across Illinois in the fall of 2019, 2020, and 2021. The survey measured teachers' mental well-being using the Warwick-Edinburg Mental…

Much attention has been focused on the importance of providing physical and mental health services to students in educational environments in recent years. Millions of students receive school-based health services, and for many students, schools are their first and only option to receive health care. State policymakers have a lot to consider in…

Background: Strategic implementation leadership is a critical determinant of successful implementation, hypothesized to create a more supportive implementation climate conducive to the adoption and use of evidence-based practices. Implementation leadership behaviors may vary significantly across contexts, necessitating studies that examine the…

Illinois has an important opportunity to dramatically expand comprehensive school-based health services for the state's most vulnerable children by making a simple change to its Medicaid policy. In 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter to state Medicaid directors clarifying which health services could be…

The Whole-Child Task Force was created by Public Act 101-0654. The Whole Child Task Force Report provides recommendations in establishing an equitable, inclusive, safe, and supportive environment in all schools for every student in Illinois pursuant to PA 101-0654. This report includes: (1) Summary of task force; (2) Background information; (3)…

Schools are the ideal setting for combining state health and education goals for all children. Children and adolescents spend more time in schools than in any other environment outside of their homes. They also form foundational health habits during their school years. By emphasizing school health and wellness, state leadership can support both…

Child health is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive approach to address the many factors that influence it and are influenced by it. In light of the complexity of children's health, the Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) was developed as a framework for a systems approach to planning and implementing school-based children's health…

The traditional teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic alone will not fully prepare students to lead with integrity, govern fairly, analyze problems, and work collectively with people different from themselves. Social emotional learning (SEL) has been described as one of the missing links in academic education, but a restrictive approach to…

A little-known health care safety net plays a big role for young people across the U.S. More than 1,900 school-based health centers (SBHCs) provide access to care--primary health, mental health and counseling, family outreach, and chronic illness management--to nearly 1.7 million children and adolescents. SBHCs are partnerships between schools and…

The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus presented a major challenge to health departments, schools, and other community partners to effectively vaccinate large numbers of Americans, primarily children. The use of school-located vaccination (SLV) programs to address this challenge led health departments and schools to become creative in developing models for…

The education headlines have been filled with grim news about facility closings, teacher layoffs and program cutbacks. When the economic climate is gloomy, few areas of schools and universities are spared. In areas outside the classroom, such as safety and security, the cuts may be larger and come more quickly. When money is scarce, education…

Asthma is the most prevalent chronic illness in childhood affecting 7 million youth. Many youth with asthma face another risk factor in obesity. Obesity, in turn, increases disorders such as asthma. Studies have recommended that asthma programs also address weight management in youth. Taking this into consideration, the I Can Control Asthma and…

In January 2007, The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services was commissioned to assess operations of school mental health programs in Washington, D.C. and recommend future directions in practices, policies and systems development. While this guidance is directed…

College health center personnel are no different from other health practitioners in their need for medical information. To help meet this need, the McKinley Health Center, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, developed a partnership in 1997 with the Library of the Health Sciences-Urbana, a regional site library of the University of Illinois at…