Chronic absenteeism is associated with poor health and educational outcomes. School nurses have great potential to address the health and educational needs that contribute to absenteeism. Through qualitative analysis of interviews with school nurses, we characterize their current role in reducing absenteeism and identify barriers 3 that limit…

Schools face an unprecedent demand for mental health services. Student mental health problems can be addressed via a continuum of mental health evidence-based practices (EBPs) integrated within school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). However, integrating mental health interventions with PBIS can be challenging. The…

Children in rural settings are less likely to receive mental health services than their urban and suburban counterparts and even less likely to receive evidence-based care. Rural schools could address the need for mental health interventions by using evidence-based practices within a tiered system of supports such as positive behavioral…

This article describes the design and implementation of an embedded therapy dog program through the counseling center at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. This program involves having a certified therapy dog present in the counseling center, in the waiting area, during counseling appointments, and during group therapy. It is discussed the…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to inform school-based services for children with acquired brain injury (ABI) by describing and analyzing functional student-outcome data from a state-wide, school-based, school re-entry consultation program, BrainSTEPS (Strategies Teaching Educators, Parents, and Students), in Pennsylvania. Method: A…

Objective: To describe provider experiences with implementation of the GIFTSS (Giving Information for Trauma Support and Safety) intervention. Participants: Health and counseling center staff from participating campuses attended trainings between August 2015 and August 2016. Interviews were conducted between May and August 2017. Methods: Providers…

First-generation college students are students for whom neither parents, natural or adoptive, mother/ father/ guardian, have completed a four-year college degree. The students are more likely to be racial and ethnic minorities, female, immigrants, low income, enrolled part-time, and/or work more than 13 hours a week. Similarly, first-generation…

Objective: This study investigated the efficacy of a two-component professional development approach to improving school wellness in Pennsylvania secondary schools. Design: Circle of Wellness (CoW), a year-long, two-phase programme, involved providing Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) workshops to Pennsylvania school staff and…

Addressing the need for suicide prevention on campus, I CARE training, developed and facilitated by counseling center clinicians, trains students, staff, and faculty to provide support to students experiencing distress or mental health problems. We assessed its impact using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analyses demonstrated significant…

Despite a high dropout rate and poor educational and posteducational outcomes, limited evidence-based practices have been validated with students at the high school level who have emotional and behavioral problems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a multitreatment, assessment-based intervention package. Participants were 647…

This study aims to explore the perceptions of parents of children receiving occupational therapy in educational settings, understand the importance of the parent/occupational therapist relationship and its impact on the outcomes of therapy. In addition, this study aims to reveal best practices when providing services within the school system in…

Early detection of mental health problems in school-age children offers the opportunity for prompt referral to treatment which is critical to their success in school. School nurses are in a key position to screen for mental health issues in the school setting. This article discusses how school nurses began a new initiative to use two validated…

Black and Latino young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are at disproportionate risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. This study informs school-centered strategies for connecting YMSM to health services by describing their willingness, perceived safety, and experiences in talking to school staff about sexual health.…

This study explored the mental health needs and services of children and adolescents within Pennsylvania school communities; this included a focus upon evidence-based counseling approaches. Relationships were analyzed between population density, SES status, grade level and the type of mental health issues serviced. Survey data from 314 respondents…

Background: Health eTools for Schools was developed to assist school nurses with routine entries, including height and weight, on student health records, thus providing a readily accessible data base. Data-mining techniques were applied to this database to determine if clinically signi?cant results could be generated. Methods: Body mass index…