This qualitative, exploratory, comparative case study examined plant-based innovations in Title I PK12 public-school nutrition programs (PSNPs) in the context of the School Health Index (SHI) and Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) objectives. The study explored the perceptions of PK12 superintendents, school board members, nutrition…

School-based mental health services are those delivered by school-employed and community-employed providers in school buildings. With the implementation of provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) that funds school-based health centers, school-based mental health services could become more broadly available in…

In 2004, Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act that requires schools to implement a wellness plan. Grounded in Ecological Systems Theory (EST) (Bronfenbrenner, 1977, 1979), the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the legislation, discover what measures have been taken to enact the legislation, gauge how the…

The challenges of educational accountability and the National Consumer Health and Promotion Act of 1976 make clear the present need for systematic action in evaluating the value and effectiveness of school health education programs. (MB)

The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health solicited public comment from stakeholders in the mental health community on various topics related to the Commissions mission. The goal was to gain a better understanding of the publics experiences with, concerns about, and hopes for the mental health care system. More than twelve hundred…

School mental health (SMH) programs and services have grown progressively in the United States in the past two decades, related to increased acknowledgement of their advantages and prominent federal initiatives (e.g., No Child Left Behind Act President's New Freedom Initiative; 20(13). Nonetheless, SMH is an emerging and tenuously supported field…

Due to the efforts of mental health consumer and advocacy organizations, there now exists a legislated community-based mental health policy for the treatment of children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders and their families. But the implementation of this policy has not met the intended legislative standards. Accordingly, this…

Despite the positive contributions of the 1987 Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (the McKinney Act), Federal emergency aid has failed to keep pace with the growing need for assistance. Less than one year after the passage of the McKinney Act, progress has been made toward meeting the emergency need for food, shelter, and health care…

Four brief papers in this symposium examine clinical research, community mental health services, and policy issues of young children's mental health problems. First, "Risk Factors for Poor Mental Health Outcomes in Young Children Entering School" (Lynne C. Huffman, Sarah L. Mehlinger, and Amy S. Kerivan Marks) reviews the research and identifies…