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22 Aug 2017
Brief

Mental Health Needs of Children and Youth: The Benefits of Having Schools Assess Available Programs and Services

Elizabeth V. Freeman and Kimberly T. Kendziora

Image of two young adults conferring over a laptopThere has been a steady rise in the number of children and youth needing programs and services that promote positive mental health and provide early intervention and treatment. How are schools responding to this challenge?

Increasingly, school systems are joining forces with community health, mental health, and social service agencies to promote student well-being and to prevent and treat mental health disorders. Through these collaborations, schools and local agencies are working together to address the growing health, behavioral, and mental health needs of students.

The key to success in such efforts is assessment. This brief explores how continuous evaluation and assessment of a school’s mental health programming (e.g., classroom programs, interventions, services, parental involvement, etc.) can benefit students, families, schools, and communities. Further, the brief describes how the Mental Health Parity Act, the new Mental Health Reform Act (embedded within the 21st Century Cures Act), and Medicaid provide ways for schools and communities to offer services for those in greatest need.

PDF icon Mental Health Needs of Children and Youth: The Benefits of Having Schools Assess Available Programs and Services (PDF)

Related Centers

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National Resource Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention (TA Center for Violence Prevention)

Funded by SAMHSA, the National Resource Center offers a range of resources and information on selecting, developing, and implementing programs that prevent youth violence and promote school safety and positive mental health. The Center features the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Framework Implementation Toolkit, which offers a three-phased approach—planning, implementing, and sustaining—to help school and community teams create safer and healthier environments.
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National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments provides a range of resources and expertise on emotional and physical safety, bullying, cyberbullying, substance use prevention, crisis response, and building trauma-sensitive schools. AIR has developed several guides and training products to support stakeholders in building and promoting safe and supportive learning environments.

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adult and child holding hands

The Role of System of Care Communities in Developing and Sustaining School Mental Health Services

In honor of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day and National Mental Health Awareness Month, AIR highlights the role schools and communities can play through systems of care to develop supports and services for children and youth with or at risk of mental health or other behavioral challenges.
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Further Reading

  • Mental Health Awareness
  • ESSA │Health and Wellness
  • AIR Experts Co-author Volume on Improving Emotional and Behavioral Outcomes for LGBT Youth
  • The Role of System of Care Communities in Developing and Sustaining School Mental Health Services
  • Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach for Youth Across Service Sectors
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Kimberly T. Kendziora

Managing Researcher

Topic

Health
Mental Health
Youth-Serving Systems

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