Devloping Principles for Best Practice in Expanded School Mental Health

• NCJ Number: 209303
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 34 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 7-13
• Author(s): Mark D. Weist; Mark A. Sander; Christine Walrath; Benjamin Link; Laura Nabors; Steve Adelsheim; Elizabeth Moore; Jenni Jennings; Kristine Carrillo
• Date Published: February 2005
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance; Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article presents 10 principles for best practice in school mental health services based on a review of relevant literature and the activities of a federally funded national center for school mental health services.

Abstract

After revision of the original draft of the principles in the spring of 2002 based on qualitative feedback from stakeholders in the field, the revised principles received strong support from a sample of 86 people who represented 8 stakeholder groups in 3 States. The first principle states that all youth and families are able to access appropriate care regardless of their ability to pay, and the second principle states that programs are implemented to address school and community needs and assets. The third principle is that programs and services focus on reducing barriers to development and learning, are student and family friendly, and are based on evidence of positive impact. Under principle four, students, families, teachers, and other important groups are actively involved in the program's development, oversight, evaluation, and continuous improvement; and principle five states that quality assessment and improvement activities continually guide and provide feedback to the program. The sixth principle supports a continuum of care, including schoolwide mental health promotion, early intervention, and treatment; and principle seven is that staff adhere to high ethical standards, are committed to children and adolescents, and display an energetic, flexible, responsive, and proactive style in delivering services. The remaining three principles are as follows: staff are respectful of and competently address developmental, cultural, and personal differences among students, families, and staff; staff build and maintain strong relationships with other mental health and health providers and educators in the school, and a theme of interdisciplinary collaboration characterizes all efforts; and mental health programs in the school are coordinated with related programs in other community settings. 3 tables and 30 references