Childhood trauma affects many youths across the United States and has a devastating impact on their functioning, well-being, and overall academic and vocational outcomes. Experiences of psychological trauma can impede cognitive, social, and emotional development in childhood, which can impair youth academic achievement, behavior, interpersonal…

Adolescence is a critical period for the promotion of mental health and the treatment of mental disorders. Schools are well-positioned to address adolescent mental health. This paper describes a school mental health model, "School-Based Pathway to Care," for Canadian secondary schools that links schools with primary care providers and…

In 2003, a partnership between a local system of care and a large urban school district led to the creation of a schoolwide educational model called the Full Purpose Partnership (FPP). This model was implemented in several elementary schools in Indianapolis, Indiana to integrate the principles of systems of care and wraparound with the techniques…

In order to meet the challenging needs and behaviors of children with Serious Emotional Disorders (SED), a school and community based Intensive Mental Health Program (IMHP) was developed and evaluated. We describe the conceptual framework, treatment principles, and model for service delivery for psychological and educational interventions under…

The purpose of this paper is to encourage state and local family and youth organizations, mental health agencies, education entities and schools across the nation to enter new relationships to achieve positive social, emotional and educational outcomes for every child. This paper offers recommendations and encouragement to family and youth…

This paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the effectiveness of a mental health intervention program implemented within the school environment. The "Self-Management Intervention Program for School-Age Children with Chronic Health Conditions and Their Parents" focused on the promotion of self-regulatory and stress management…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Linkages to Learning (LTL) model of service delivery on the behavior of 119 students, 73 in a school receiving LTL services and the remainder attending a matched control school in Montgomery County, Maryland. LTL is a model for collaborative, school-based delivery of an array of mental health, social…

Competition for mental health funding among advocates for treatment, prevention, and research often produces more tension than productivity. Competition is fueled by dependency on varied streams of funding and lack of coherent connections and coordination among the host of public and private agents involved in addressing child and adolescent…

This paper describes a California-based interagency program that combines mental health, educational, and probation services in an effort to reduce juvenile recidivism. The program provides interagency services at three therapeutic high schools and one juvenile facility with the goal of keeping minors at home and thereby reducing recidivism by…

This paper uses data from a project in South Carolina that provides services to children with severe emotional disturbance (SED) to examine the role of schools in integrated service delivery. This study examined organizations participating in a demonstration project sponsored by the federal Center for Mental Health Services and administered by a…

This brief paper presents initial findings midway through the first year of implementing a school-based model of providing mental health services to children and families living in urban, low-income communities and provided by community-based mental health providers. The model emphasizes the central role of ecological factors in childhood conduct…

This descriptive study in the Cleveland (Ohio) public school system evaluated the impact of an intensive, school-based mental health program. Forty-two African American elementary school students were referred for school-based mental services due to overt behavioral problems. Children were evaluated for risk status across three domains: community,…

This fact sheet explains the concept of "systems of care" in meeting the mental health needs of children and adolescents with behavioral, emotional, or mental health problems. Community-based systems of care provide a coordinated range of mental health and related services and supports. Teams representing public and private organizations…

A study reviewed outcomes of 34 prevention programs for children (ages 5-18) that produce improvements in specific psychological symptoms or in factors directly associated with increased risk for child mental disorders. The following conclusions can be made regarding validated programs: (1) short-term preventive interventions produce time-limited…

This article explores how the school-based wraparound approach and a school-wide systems approach to positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) work together to create more effective school environments and improved outcomes for students with or at risk of behavioral challenges. Complementary aspects of these wraparound and PBIS…