Research supports the use of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for meeting student academic, behavioral, and socioemotional needs. MTSS is viewed as an ideal model to deliver school-based mental health (SBMH) services to students. However, limited research has examined what this framework for service delivery looks like in practice. Utilizing…

School-based telebehavioral health service is increasingly important in addressing the health disparities youth in rural communities face. The study examines barriers and successes of implementation and sustainability of a rural school-based telebehavioral health program from the perspective of site coordinators or school champions informed by the…

Eating disorders have substantially risen in school-aged youth, especially in a post-pandemic world. Impacting children and adolescents across races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations, prevalence rates suggest that eating disorders do not discriminate. Interestingly, despite the rising prevalence rates and increase of eating disorders,…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is exhibited through a wide-range of symptoms including social interactions, communication deficits, limited interests, and repetitive behaviors (e.g., stimming). The prevalence of autism amongst children and adolescents continues to grow with 1 in 36 diagnosed annually…

Schools are well positioned to facilitate early identification and intervention for youth with emerging mental health needs through universal mental health screening. Early identification of mental health concerns via screening can improve long-term student development and success, but schools face logistical challenges and lack of pragmatic…

School mental health programs are an important component of the national response to the current student mental health crisis. However, evidence-based programs often face numerous barriers to their selection, scale-up, and sustainability in real-world settings. In this study, we interviewed 15 educational stakeholders to examine what influences…

We employed a mixed-methods design to identify intervention elements that may improve relational inclusion in classrooms through equity-framed and culturally-attuned teacher-student relationship interventions. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 29 (26 female) school mental health professionals and 19 parents (mostly mothers) of…

Despite evidence that school mental health can enhance access to care for students from marginalized racial/ethnic groups, disparities remain in the appropriateness, quality, effectiveness, and outcomes of school mental health services. Implementation strategies hold some promise for addressing the disparities that emerge as result of inequitable…

Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) experience more significant mental health concerns compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers, especially within recent years, as a result of the relentless political attacks on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) community. Given that youth…

Given the prevalence and negative outcomes associated with untreated mental health concerns, there is an urgent need for schools to enhance their capacity to prevent, identify, and address these needs. This is particularly important for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, who are more likely to be underserved and face…

The racialized history of sickle cell disease (SCD) continues to contribute to racial disparities in healthcare and education. In the context of the racialized history of SCD, we begin by outlining subtypes of SCD and explaining that SCD is associated with chronic pain, silent cerebral infarct, overt stroke, and poor overall well-being--all of…

Drama therapy is an emerging mental health practice in North American schools. Yet little research has focused directly on the role of drama therapists in schools or their service navigation practices and challenges. From February to July of 2018, drama therapists affiliated with the North American Drama Therapy Association currently working in…

Investing in school mental health programs has the potential to improve youths' access to mental health services. Barriers to the implementation of school mental health programs include limited workforce capacity, competing priorities, and lack of coordinated care. The current paper describes the history, development, and key components of the…

The role of education staff in supporting social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties is critical, however access to specialist mental health input can be difficult. Digitally-mediated service delivery was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and may be integrated in a post-COVID-19 world to support education staff. Using a…

The school setting represents the most common setting by which youth receive mental and behavioral health (MBH) services (Farmer et al., 2003, Psychiatr Serv, 54, 60-66). Nevertheless, many school psychologists are not providing MBH services despite the high prevalence of need. Additional research is needed to understand factors leading to these…