School-Based Mental Health Systems: Psychological Care for Children and Youth

Dear Colleagues,

School-based mental health systems are fragmented across a collection of programs and an assortment of school-based mental health professionals. In this Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences entitled “School-Based Mental Health Systems: Psychological Care for Children and Youth”, the Guest Editors aim to address the compartmentalization of school-based mental health systems with a focus on achieving a reduction in implementation overload. By addressing the connections of programs and professionals across the multi-tiered system of support frameworks often utilized in educational institutions to address the spectrum of student needs, this Special Issue aims to encourage teaming and information sharing within comprehensive school-based mental health systems. We invite papers from across the school-based mental health fields: school counseling, school psychology, school social work, school nursing, and across the collection of school-based mental health programs: interconnected system frameworks, social and emotional learning, character education, positive behavior interventions and supports, mental health first aid, response to intervention, multi-tiered systems of support, and special education.

Prof. Dr. Nicole Skaar
Dr. Erika Franta
Guest Editors

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• school mental health
• school behavioral health
• comprehensive school mental health systems
• multi-tiered systems of support
• social and emotional learning
• positive behavior interventions and supports
• public and private partnerships
• specialized instructional support personnel

Title: Enhancing Social-Emotional Health: The Impact of the Sisters of Nia Intervention on Black Girls in Rural Schools
Authors: Shundrell McMullan, MS, Jennifer Ani, MS, Kayla Bates-Brantley, Ph.D., BCBA-D, and MacKenzie Sidwell, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Affiliation: Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations, Mississippi State University
Abstract: Within the educational system, Black girls frequently encounter racial discrimination fueled by unjust policies, which can have detrimental effects unless they are supported by protective factors. While social-emotional interventions are implemented in schools, concerns remain about their effectiveness for minoritized populations. This study evaluates the impact of a culturally informed intervention, Sisters of Nia, designed to enhance social-emotional health through interdisciplinary partnerships among educators and mental health professionals. The intervention aimed to increase protective factors for five adolescent Black girls in a rural public school in the southeastern U.S. Using a single-case design with a changing criterion approach, we measured positive interactions with teachers and peers, along with racial identity using the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity-Teen (MIBI-T) and self-concept with the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale-2nd Edition (TSCS-2). Results indicated an increase in positive teacher and peer interactions from baseline following the intervention. Although a paired samples t-test revealed statistically non-significant changes in MIBI-T and TSCS-2 scores, there was an overall increase post-intervention. The researchers highlight the importance of representing the perspectives of Black girls and provides recommendations for inclusive research practices in school-based mental health initiatives, emphasizing the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration to support social-emotional well-being. Keywords: Black girls, protective factors, cultural interventions, social-emotional, interdisciplinary collaboration.

Title: Embedding Trauma-Informed Strategies within a Multitiered System of Supports: A Framework for Early Childhood Education
Authors: Freddie Pastrana Rivera, Zachary C. LaBrot, Lourdes Rodriguez, Brittany Garza, Josselyn Y. Telule, & Abigail A. Wilkinson
Affiliation: University of Southern Mississippi
Abstract: Program-wide Positive Behavior Supports (PW-PBS) is a data-driven multitiered model of service delivery in which young children receive increasingly intensive supports to address their social-emotional and behavioral needs. PW-PBS implementation in early childhood education has consistently been found effective for preventing a variety of undesirable outcomes, while also promoting young children’s social-emotional and behavioral functioning. However, literature examining the PW-PBS model has often overlooked the impact of early adversity and trauma as factors on young children’s outcomes. Emerging studies have begun proposing a trauma-informed lens be implemented in early childhood education (Neitzel, 2020; Sun et al., 2024); however, the PW-PBS model lacks clear guidelines on how to adapt interventions and supports at each tier to be trauma-informed. Therefore, using a trauma-informed lens, this paper aims to offer evidence-guided approaches to adapt the PW-PBS framework. Practical trauma-informed adaptations of specific interventions and supports at each PW-PBS tier will be described. Further, a data-based case study will be presented and discussed to illustrate the utility of a trauma-informed PW-PBS model. The goals of this paper are to advise practitioners how PW-PBS can be adapted to be trauma-informed while also serving as a call to action for researchers to empirically investigate this model. Keywords: trauma-informed; multitiered supports; MTSS; PBIS; early childhood; early intervention

Title: Helping Youth THRIVE Using a Brief Small-Group Intervention
Authors: Mindy Chadwell, PhD, BCBA; Kaitlyn Young, PhD; Jordan Thayer, PhD; Lauren Scanlan, PhD; Christina Pynn, PhD; Jasmine Gray, PhD
Affiliation: Munroe Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center Thayer Organizational & Psychological Services Boys Town National Research Hospital Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Abstract: Adolescence is a time of much transition for youth, requiring flexibility and strategies to cope with change. This is particularly true in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in which adolescents faced a sudden surge of uncertainty in their lives, leading to increases in depression, anxiety, social isolation, and general mood-related concerns (Loades et al., 2020). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, authors developed a novel framework, grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which aims to increase coping with stress and engagement in values-based activities for adolescents. The THRIVE framework has been adapted for and implemented in school-based mental health clinics as a four-session, small group therapy for adolescents. This paper will describe the components of the THRIVE intervention and share data from pilot implementation within six school-based mental health clinics in a Midwestern state.

Title: A Comprehensive School-based Mental Health Model: A Decade in the Making
Authors: Wendy M. Reinke, Ph.D. Keith C. Herman, Ph.D. Sarah Owens, Ph.D. Aaron Thompson, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Missouri Prevention Science Institute, University of Missouri
Abstract: Over the past decade, Researchers in partnership with school practitioners developed a comprehensive school-based mental health model. The model includes a universal screening system that incorporates teacher and student report on areas of risk known to be linked to mental health issues in youth. The Early Identification System (EIS) was developed as a feasible and socially valid universal screener that allows schools to use data to determine universal prevention interventions, areas for professional development for staff, and to identify students who would benefit from selective or indicated interventions. The EIS can also be used to monitor change over time. Originally developed as part of a Coalition of six school districts, the U.S. Department of Education recently invested in this comprehensive model to be adapted for rural schools. This article will describe the partnership between school practitioners, the use of the model over time, and summarize research conducted over the past decade. Lastly, preliminary data demonstrating the promise of the model by comparing rural schools which had been using the model for eight years to rural schools who have never implemented the model will be shared. Implications for practice and policy will be discussed.

Title: Burnout Amongst School Mental Health Providers: Implications for Retention
Authors: Gerta Bardhoshi, Derek Rodgers, Ashley Rila, & Allison Bruhn
Affiliation: University of Iowa
Abstract: School mental health providers are critical components of effective school-based psychological care for PreK-12 students. Current trends, however, indicate they are experiencing high levels of burnout from increased workloads and the ongoing mental health crisis among students. Burnout impairs school mental health providers by reducing their ability to effectively support and engage with students, leading to decreased job satisfaction and compromising the quality of psychological care they provide. We conducted a statewide survey of 150 PreK-12 school mental health professionals from a primarily rural state. The survey included items from the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support-8, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, and author-created items about job satisfaction and access to social, emotional, and behavioral health (SEBH) programming. We used linear regression models to study the differences between school mental health professionals who do and do not have access to an SEBH curriculum and SEBH professional development on key variables related to burnout, self-compassion, and coping skills. Results indicated lack of access to SEBH programming was associated with respondents’ burnout, perceptions of support, and overall job satisfaction. The researchers highlight the importance of access to SEBH programming for improving the job experience and increasing retention in a field with dire shortages.