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| CSMH newsletter August 2017 |
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It's back to school season, and across the country, schools and districts are welcoming students for another year of learning, growth, support, and enrichment. This edition of our newsletter contains resources, grant opportunities, and the latest research to prepare for a great year ahead, including:- Upcoming webinars on the School Responder Model and Youth Leadership and School Climate
- Resources to help school staff and families impacted by Hurricane Harvey
- The latest research on school mental health, including a meta-analysis of school-based social and emotional learning interventions
- Funding opportunities from the Institute of Education Sciences
Whether you're an educator, health provider, clinician, parent, student, youth serving-professional, administrator, advocate, or policymaker, we at the Center for School Mental Health are proud to support you in your work to provide students with high-quality mental health programs and services.
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| Register for our School Mental Health conference |
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| The Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health is the nation's premier interdisciplinary conference on school mental health. This conference is the premier interdisciplinary conference on school mental health, offering attendees the latest information on research, policy, and practice in the field.
This year's conference is hosted in Washington, D.C. from October 19-21, 2017 and includes more than 150 conference sessions, training workshops, and symposia, plus an evening poster session. |
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Register today! The deadline for standard rates has been extended, but only until September 18, 2017! |
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SHAPE up your School Mental Health System!
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Be counted in the National School Mental Health Census and use National School Mental Health Performance Measures to advance your school mental health quality improvement and sustainability efforts via The School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation System (The SHAPE System). The SHAPE System is a free, interactive web platform designed to improve your school mental health team's accountability, excellence, and sustainability.
Register your school or district today to be a part of this important initiative today!
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The events surrounding Hurricane Harvey are a tragic reminder that schools and communities must often respond to disasters – both natural and man-made. CSMH has compiled a number of resources about mental health supports following a disaster such as a natural disaster or a mass violence incident.
The Center for School Mental Health wishes safety and support to all those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Please contact CSMH if your school mental health system would like additional guidance on these topics. |
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School Mental Health Quality Improvement Spotlight
Emporia Unified School District/CrossWinds Counseling and Wellness in Emporia, Kansas have developed a high quality, comprehensive school mental health system in their rural school district. Working collaboratively, “The Emporia Team” is responsible for Emporia USD’s Gold Level SHAPE Recognition and has completed the School Mental Health Quality Assessment every month since October 2015 to systematically monitor and improve the quality of their school mental health services. Over the course of two years they went from piloting a community partnership in one school, to systematically tracking the impact of mental health services on their students’ classroom behavior and academic outcomes in six schools. As a result of their efforts they have been able to expand their array of service provision to improve access to and quality of mental health prevention and intervention services for students. To learn more about how your school or district can access the School Mental Health Quality Assessment and achieve Gold Level SHAPE Recognition, please visit www.theshapesystem.com.
Do you know a school mental health leader or team that we should feature in our School Mental Health Quality Improvement Spotlight? Send us your suggestions at csmh@som.umaryland.edu. |
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CSMH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Free Online Peer Recovery Specialist Training
We've added a training series on Peer Recovery Specialists to mdbehavioralhealth.com. Peer Recovery Specialists leverage their lived experiences and specialized training to support and educate people in the process of recovery from mental health, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. Professionals and prospective Peer Recovery Specialists can benefit from the strategies, resources, and tools provided in this interprofessional training. Certified Peer Recovery Specialists in Maryland can also earn CEUs for recertification.
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RESOURCES
Free Webinar on the School Responder Model
This presentation will feature practical tools and guidance on how to establish a School Responder Model (SRM), a school-based strategy to identify and address student behavioral health needs in place of suspending and/or arresting these students. Developed by four geographically diverse teams of state and local stakeholders that recently developed and implemented SRMs, these resources are freely available, easy to access, and provide concrete supports to develop an SRM in any community. The webinar will be presented by Jacqui Greene, Program Area Director at Policy Research Associates (PRA) and a co-facilitator of the JJDOP Practice Group.
"The School Responder Model: Tools to Prevent Suspension and Arrests of Students with Behavioral Health Needs"
Date: Thursday, September 14, 2017 Time: 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern Dial: 1-800-832-0736; Code: 7331009
Free Webinar on Youth Leadership and School Climate This session will focus on the importance of authentic youth voice to improve school climate. Two strategies for the development of youth leadership will be showcased: 1) Including youth on school-level Multi-tiered System of Support Teams and 2) the mission of YouthMOVE, a youth-led organization, to develop youth leadership and peer to peer supports focused on helping youth with lived behavioral health experiences to find their voices and affect change in multiple contexts, including as school climate leaders. The webinar will be presented by Kathryn Francoeur and Heidi Cloutier at the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire and Hannah Raiche from YouthMOVE NH.
"Partnering with Youth to Improve School Climate"
Date: Thursday, October 12, 2017 Time: 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern Dial: 1-800-832-0736; Code: 7331009
How can schools support family resilience?
Traumatic stress often affects the entire family, even if the trauma is experienced by the student. A family’s ability to be resilient in response to trauma can improve outcomes for the student, in addition to the family unit. Various characteristics influence family resilience, such as shared beliefs and attitudes about coping, ability to maintain structure with flexibility, effective communication skills, and problem solving skills. This website from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides recommendations for mental health providers to use to support and strengthen family resilience.
September is National Recovery Month
Every September the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sponsors National Recovery Month to increase awareness of behavioral health conditions and support those in recovery. This toolkit provides media materials to promote National Recovery Month and provides information on supporting specific individuals who are recovering from mental and substance use disorders.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death of children aged 15-19 and the 3rd leading cause of death among children aged 5-14. Parents, educators, and peers are the most likely to recognize signs of suicidal behavior in youth; therefore it is important to increase awareness of suicide and ways to prevent suicide when warning signs are present. This website from the National Association of School Psychologists provides prevention tips for parents, educators, and peers, and guidelines to school administrators and crisis teams.
This website provides access to materials, brochures, and resources to promote National Suicide Prevention Month.
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REPORTS
"Improving Measurement of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Among Middle and High School Students" With support from the Arcus Foundation, Child Trends convened a panel of researchers and clinicians with extensive experience working with and/or assessing LGBT youth to develop SOGI items. The panel conducted cognitive interviews with a diverse group of students to ensure youth understanding of and comfort with items about sexual orientation and gender identity. The SOGI items were then included in the U.S. Department of Education’s School Climate survey in Washington, DC, administered during the 2016-17 school year with over 3,000 middle and high school students. The Child Trends report includes key findings on item validity and reliability as well as recommended items to measure sexual orientation and gender identity among adolescents.
"Understanding Adolescent Inhalant Use" The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently published a report on inhalant use among adolescents. It was reported that, among the 1.8 million people who used inhalants to get high in 2015, 684,000 were between 12 and 17 years old. The most common type of inhalant used to get high was felt-tip pens/markers or magic markers. SAMHSA noted that inhalant use is linked to delinquency, depression, suicidal thoughts, and drug and alcohol use among adolescents. The results of the report underscore the need for continuing efforts to educate adolescents, parents, teachers, physicians, service providers, and policymakers about the dangers and health risks of inhalant use.
"Public High School Students' Use of Graduation, Career, or Education Plans" The U.S. Department of Education published a report on public high school students’ graduation, career, or education plans, with data obtained from both students and school counselors who participated in a 2012 follow-up of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. The report highlights that 44% of students were required to develop graduation, educational and/or career plans, and 22% of those students met with a school counselor (or other staff) to review and revise their plan.
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JOURNAL ARTICLES
The Need for School-Based Mental Health Services and Recommendations for Implementation
Authors: Kern, L., Mathur, S. R., Albrecht, S. F., Poland, S., Rozalski, M., Skiba, R. J.
Journal: School Mental Health
Year: 2017
Abstract/Summary: Mental illness is a major public health concern with significant social cost. Symptoms of mental health problems generally emerge during the school-age years. Although effective interventions are available to decelerate or eliminate incipient concerns, they are rarely accessible to youth. Evidence suggests that school-based mental health services (SBMHS) have the highest likelihood of reaching youth in need. In this paper, the authors and the Council for Children with Behavior Disorders present a foundation for future policy recommendations relative to the need for SBMHS and recommendations for implementation. In particular, this paper reviews features of effective SBMHS, programmatic considerations for implementation (e.g., administrative support, use of evidence-based practices, focus on prevention and tiered intervention, and culturally responsive practice), considerations for school-wide practices (e.g., universal screening, crisis planning, provider qualifications, building school-wide capacity, and implementation fidelity), collaboration with parents, and allocation of resources to support SBMHS.
A Meta-Analysis of Class-Wide Interventions for Supporting Student Behavior
Authors: Chaffe, R., Briesch, A. M., Johnson, A. H., & Volpe, R. J.
Journal: School Psychology Review
Year: 2017
Abstract/Summary: Off-task and disruptive classroom behavior impedes the learning of the children emitting these behaviors as well as the delivery of instruction to the entire class, which may lead to decreased academic achievement and more severe behavior problems. A meta-analysis of the single-case literature was conducted to understand the effectiveness of class-wide interventions in supporting student behavior in general education settings. Twenty-nine studies of K–12 classrooms, published between January 1969 and September 2015, were included for analysis. Two effect sizes, the Hedges, Pustejovsky, and Shadish (2012, 2013) d-statistic and Tau-U (Parker, Vannest, Davis, & Sauber, 2011), were calculated for relevant studies and designs. The results of a random-effects meta-analysis using the d-statistic resulted in an estimated overall effect of 2.04 (95% CI [1.67, 2.41]) and an overall effect of 0.93 (95% CI [0.87, 0.99]) using Tau-U; each are indicative of a large overall estimate of effect. Results indicate that classwide, behaviorally oriented interventions are effective at improving student behavior in general education settings. The authors conclude, based upon their findings, that providers should feel confident recommending token economies, the Good Behavior Game, and interdependent group contingency interventions to classroom teachers who are seeking to improve classroom management and the academic and social emotional development of their students.
Promoting Positive Youth Development Through School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Interventions: A Meta-Analysis of Follow-Up Effects
Authors: Taylor, R. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P.
Journal: Child Development
Year: 2017
Abstract/Summary: This meta-analysis reviewed 82 school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions involving 97,406 kindergarten to high school students (Mage = 11.09 years; mean percent low socioeconomic status = 41.1; mean percent students of color = 45.9). Thirty-eight interventions took place outside the United States. Follow-up outcomes (collected 6 months to 18 years postintervention) demonstrate SEL's enhancement of positive youth development. Participants fared significantly better than controls in social-emotional skills, attitudes, and indicators of well-being. Benefits were similar regardless of students’ race, socioeconomic background, or school location. Postintervention social-emotional skill development was the strongest predictor of well-being at follow-up. Infrequently assessed but notable outcomes (e.g., graduation and safe sexual behaviors) illustrate SEL's improvement of critical aspects of students’ developmental trajectories.
Does Depression Screening in Schools Reduce Adolescent Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Accessing Treatment?
Authors: Guo, S. Kim, J. J., Bear, L., & Lau, A. S.
Journal: Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology
Year: 2017
Abstract/Summary: Although placing mental health services in schools increases access to care, racial/ethnic disparities persist within the scope of school-based mental health services. Universal mental health screening is a potential strategy to increase problem detection and reduce disparities in care provision. However, no study has experimentally tested the effect of universal screening on patterns of service utilization across racial groups and the potential to reduce disparities. Using a cluster randomized design, the authors compared service linkage patterns among 7th- and 8th-grade Asian American and Latino students (N = 2,494; Mage = 13.65) in schools that either conducted or did not conduct universal depression screening. Multilevel analyses showed that enrollment in a universal screening school, Latino ethnicity, and low academic performance were associated with greater likelihood of referral. However, these factors were not related to caregiver consent or treatment initiation. Screening-triggered referrals were less likely to result in caregiver consent compared to routine referrals. Furthermore, universal screening did not result in a statistically significant reduction in racial/ethnic disparities in treatment referral. Implications for engaging ethnic minority families beyond the point of problem recognition and referral are discussed.
A Review of Effective Youth Engagement Strategies for Mental Health and Substance Use Interventions
Authors: Dunne, T., Pharm, L. B., Avery, S., Darcy, S.
Journal: Journal of Adolescent Health
Year: 2017
Abstract/Summary: The majority of adult mental health and substance use (MH&SU) conditions emerge in adolescence. Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment programs targeting this age group have a unique opportunity to significantly impact the well-being of the future generation of adults. At the same time, youth are reluctant to seek treatment and have high rates of dropout from interventions. An emphasis on youth engagement in prevention and treatment interventions for MH&SU results in better health outcomes for those youth. This literature review was undertaken to evaluate opportunities to improve youth engagement in MH&SU programs. The intent was to determine best practices in the field that combined community-level improvement in clinical outcomes with proven strategies in engagement enhancement to inform program development at a local level. The results discuss 40 studies, reviews, and program reports demonstrating effective youth engagement. These have been grouped into six themes based on the underlying engagement mechanism: youth participation in program development, parental relationships, technology, the health clinic, school, and social marketing. A broad range of tools are discussed that intervention developers can leverage to improve youth engagement in prevention or treatment programs.
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Institute of Education Sciences Webinar Series
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is launching a series of on-demand webinars for those who are interested in Fiscal Year 2018 funding opportunities and in learning more about IES. The pre-recorded webinars are hosted by staff from the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) and the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and can be accessed from the IES Webinar Series websites.
Available webinars are divided into two categories: General Overviews (e..g, IES Application Process, Basic Overview of Research Grants, and IES Grant Writing Workshop) and Fiscal Year 2018 funding opportunities (e.g., Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies, Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in Education Research).
Children’s Fund Grant Opportunities
Children’s Fund of School Psychology, Inc. (CFSP) offers grants to current, retired, and/or trained school psychologists and graduate students in school psychology in support of projects that benefit children and families. CFSP’s three grant types provide opportunities for awards ranging from $200 to $3,000. Visit the CFSP website to learn more about their Children’s Basic Needs/Mental Health Practitioner Grants, Service Grants, and Youth Empowerment Mini-Grants. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are limited to one per year.
The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Grant Program
The Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Grant Program provides grants for emergency repairs and modernization of school facilities to certain local educational agencies that receive Impact Aid formula funds. It is estimated that there will be eight awards. The deadline for applications is September 15, 2017. Please refer to the award notice for eligibility criteria and more information.
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POLICY ANNOUNCEMENTS
North Carolina’s School-Based Mental Health Initiative
A statewide school-based mental health initiative was recently approved in North Carolina. The initiative requires all Local Education Agency (LEA)/charter schools to develop and implement a plan for assessing and improving the effectiveness of existing supports for addressing the mental health and substance use needs of the student population. The initiative requires each plan to address (1) universal prevention, (2) early intervention services, and (3) referral, treatment, and re-entry. In addition, state-level supports via consultation and training are described. View the full policy here. |
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ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Postdoctoral Research Training Program in School Mental Health
The University of Washington School of Medicine and College of Education are recruiting two fellows for 2018 for the University of Washington SMART Center’s Postdoctoral Research Training Program in School Mental Health, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences (IES). The fellowship’s areas of focus align with those of the SMART Center and include research-based school behavioral health strategies and policies, implementation science, educational equity, clinical research methodology, and understanding and reducing ethnic and racial disparities. For details, refer to the full job listing.
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CONNECT WITH CSMH
The CSMH is on Facebook and Twitter to disseminate information and resources and to engage in discussions with colleagues. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@CtrSchoolMH)! |
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