The prevalence of mental health issues among children is a pressing concern, with many cases going untreated and leading to long-term challenges. Teachers play a vital role in identifying and supporting children with mental health problems, but they often lack the necessary training and confidence. To address this gap, Research Informed Skills for…

This dissertation project highlights the rising rates of and effects of child anxiety. This was done through a literature review of relevant topics. Child anxiety treatment is explored and best practices highlighted. By using a top-to-bottom approach to the literature, a program/resource was developed that is intended for use by school…

This research evaluates childhood mental health disorders and their prevalence. Public-school systems are tasked with providing equitable education and services to students in special education who are in need under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Public school districts may look outside of the traditional academic setting, to a…

In 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General declared a children's mental health crisis, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in the prevalence of youth mental health needs stating that adolescents are in crisis (Reinert et al., 2021). Since 2021, a significant amount of literature has been published, indicating that,…

Although evidence-based practices (EBPs) exist to support emotional and behavioral health for children and their families, their adoption in community settings remains startlingly low. While therapist training is a promising method to promote the successful adoption of EBPs, there is often a lack of agreement on the foundational skills therapists…

Mental health care in the United States is both important and expensive. In many instances, those with the least amount of access to quality mental health care services also face other social inequities. The government has addressed this issue in a myriad of ways, some effective, others not. The outpatient development model creates a barrier to…

This qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study explored the subjectivity of the phenomenon of homelessness among women with children. The study examined the perceived critical incidents homeless women with children ascribe to their homelessness alongside the perceptions held regarding the accessibility of available resources…

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…