This study employed a small-scale qualitative approach to examine how the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme operates in secondary schools, focusing on facilitating factors and challenges in its implementation. Research on ELSA interventions in secondary schools is limited; this study seeks to address this gap and provide…

ABSTRACT Many youth seek and receive mental health treatment in schools, yet research on their perceptions of these interventions remains uncommon. This qualitative study explored how student perspectives on social validity informed the ongoing implementation and evaluation of the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a Tier 2 positive psychology…

Public schools are the cornerstone of this nation's communities, democracy, and economy. The challenges and deep inequities facing schools today are largely the result of decades of disinvestment, compounded by a global pandemic. All of this has led to a breaking point for the system of public education. In 2023, lawmakers and stakeholders are…

Community-engaged approaches to addressing mental health concerns have reduced health inequities experienced by refugee communities. Problem Management Plus (PM+)--a brief psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization--has shown effectiveness in improving mental health and well-being of adults experiencing distress. This…

Pragmatic measures of evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation can support and evaluate implementation efforts. We examined the predictive validity of therapist reports of EBP strategy delivery for children's mental health outcomes. Data were obtained from 1,380 sessions with 248 children delivered by 76 therapists in two county systems.…

School-based psychosocial group programs need to more adequately address the linguistic and cultural needs of emergent bilingual learners. Although research underscores the importance of culturally responsive and linguistically inclusive approaches, a comprehensive framework guiding the adaptation, implementation, and evaluation of school-based…

The mental health of Maryland's youth has grown steadily worse for more than a decade, with COVID-19 exacerbating the trend. In an attempt to respond to rising student social, emotional, and academic needs, states including Maryland received a substantial increase in revenue through the allocation of American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary…

Mental health screening is a pivotal practice for promoting the social-emotional-behavioral (SEB) health and well-being of youth in schools. However, some aspects of traditional mental health screening practices may inadvertently perpetuate structural racism and unintentionally facilitate oppression and SEB disparities. We address this issue…

When students drop out of high school there are substantial social and economic consequences that can persist throughout their lives. They are more likely to be unemployed, to become teenage parents, to become involved in the criminal justice system, and to suffer a lifetime of low wages. Dropout rates soared during the COVID-19 pandemic as…

This article describes how evaluators and stakeholders could combine their expertise to collaboratively evaluate a program designed to promote mental health in the school environment. The program, called Youth Mental Health First Aid USA (YMHFA), was designed to help young people cope with the early stages of mental health concerns. Specifically,…

LifeSkills Training is the only program to prevent substance use disorder among adolescents that has evidence of effects on substance use outcomes from multiple randomized controlled trials. Evaluations have shown that the version for middle school students reduces their use of substances in high school, but these studies were conducted in the…

College students across the nation are encountering stressors from a myriad of sources in addition to the typical stress of academics. These stressors come by way of financial, occupational, social, physical, emotional, environmental, and spiritual challenges in students' lives. While reported incidences of mental health needs among college…

Suicide is the third most common cause of death for youth aged 14-19. School counselors need a school-wide prevention plan to address the mental and emotional needs of students experiencing suicidal ideation and behaviors. Although researchers have suggested that suicide prevention programming and suicide screening programs lower the rate of…

Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) became part of Washington State's Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) on July 1, 2019. JR serves the state's highest-risk youth who have been charged with a qualifying offense and either adjudicated in a county's juvenile court or convicted in an adult criminal court. In 2000, JR needed to further define…

Recognizing the need for education that addresses social emotional and mental health issues faced by adults, Extension developed two different types of programs. Michigan State University (MSU) Extension developed the RELAX: Alternatives to Anger program (RELAX) to address anger management, and West Virginia University (WVU) Extension created…