University Involvement in Mental Health—Education

Partnerships: Benefits for All

Julie S. Owens, Ph.D., Ohio UniversityCarl E. Paternite, Ph.D., Miami UniversityLauren Richerson, M.S., Ohio UniversityMelissa Maras, B.A., Miami University

Overview

I. Overview of SBMH: models, services, advantages, challenges, needs

II. How to initiate a mental health—education partnership: History of the creation of SBMH in Ohio

III. Description of our programs

IV. Examples of the benefits provided by mental health—education partnerships

V. Common challenges to SBMH and recommendations for overcoming them

School-Based Mental Health Program/Service Variations

Community MH providers working on site in school settings in partnership with school staff

School MH professionals with clearly defined primary roles as mental health providers in school (counselor, S.W, psychologist)

MH providers from school or community as part of on site school-based health centers, in partnership with primary care providers

Expanded School-Based Mental Health Programs

and Services Involve partnership between schools

and community health/mental health organizations, as guided by families

Build on existing school programs/services

Offer programs/services for all students, including those in general and special education

Emphasize schools as locus of engagement for school-based, school-linked, and community-based work

Expanded School-Based Mental Health

Full array of mental health care for youth in special and regular education• Screening and assessment• Treatment• Case management• Prevention (all levels)• Mental health promotion

Related Services• Classroom observation• Consultation• Training with school staff, families, and

community members• School wide initiatives (e.g., media, outreach,

climate)

Expanded SBMH Advantages

Moves toward MH—Education systems integration, providing critical support to education, and enhancing access to youth for mental health care

Expands and connects education and mental health knowledge bases and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration

Assists in the development and delivery of a true system of care

Emerging Expanded SBMH Field is Presented with

Many ChallengesLack of conceptual clarity about SBMH

No good national mechanisms to track development

Estimate of less than 10% of schools in U.S. offer expanded SBMH

Practice-research disconnect

Tenuous community and financial support

“Silos” in community systems

Education/Training Needs

In addition to parents and primary care providers, teachers are on the mental health “front line”. Yet, teachers/educators are very poorly trained in problem recognition and mental health promotion

Significant need to enhance teacher/educator training based on analysis of issues confronted in the classroom/school

Related significant need to enhance training of mental health professionals to prepare them to engage with educators and function effectively in/with schools

The Y.E.S.S. Program: Youth Experiencing Success in

Schools

Julie S. Owens, Ph.DJulie S. Owens, Ph.DDepartment of PsychologyDepartment of Psychology

Ohio University Psychology and Social Work ClinicOhio University Psychology and Social Work Clinic

Program Goals Improve academic

and behavioral performance

Enhance home-school collaboration

Enhance consultation for teachers

Improve inter-agency collaboration

Conduct research to evaluate program effectiveness and barriers to care

Evidence-Based Services

Individualized classroom intervention• Daily report card with home-school links• Behavioral contracts

Individual/group parent support sessions• Home privilege system for school performance• Effective discipline skills

Weekly teacher consultation Individual child therapyConsultation with other agencies

In-House Clinician: 2 days/week

Center for School-Based Mental Health Services

Miami University Department of Psychology

http://www.units.muohio.edu/csbmhp/

Alternative Education Program Formative Evaluation and

Consultation2003

Qualitative StudyPhase I and Phase II11 Alternative Education Programs

evaluated (Short-, Mixed-, and Long-term programs)

27 student and 25 parent interviewsThemes, Recommendations, and Best-

Practices identified

http://www.units.muohio.edu/csbmhp/alternativeeducation.html

Head Start Programs:Observation and

Consultation2003-2004

Federally mandated biannual observation and consultation

59 Head Start Programs in Butler County, OH

Development of Behavioral Health Observation Form

Ongoing partnership

School-Based Psychology Interns

Clinicians based in 5 schools Individual, family, and group therapyTeacher consultationOngoing data collection

Ψ Benefits to Researchers ΨRepresentative, heterogeneous samples

• Inclusion of at-risk children• Advances the science

CollaborationMultiple informants of treatment

outcomeGreater access to informants and child

participantsExamination of factors that may

influence children’s treatment outcomes

2004-2005

FallPre-

Treatment

Winter Mid-

Treatment

SpringPost-

Treatment

Symptoms Par; Tch Par; Tch Par; TchImpairment Par; Tch Par; Tch Par; TchAcademic Performance

Grades; Tch

Grades; Tch

Grades; Tch

Parent Stress Parent Parent ParentTeacher Stress Teacher Teacher TeacherSchool Climate Teacher;

ClinicianTeacher;Clinician

Teacher;Clinician

Office referrals Records Records RecordsSatisfaction Par; Tch;

ChildPar; Tch; Child

Par; Tch; Child

Example of Benefits to Research: Predictors of

Treatment OutcomeChild variables• IQ•Symptom severity

Family variables•Parenting style•Parenting stress•Parental involvement in

treatmentSchool variables

•Teacher optimism

Benefits to Pre-Service Professionals

The providers of treatment

Use of evidenced-based treatments

Experience working on an inter-disciplinary team

A captive and diverse audience

Benefits to Children and the School Community

Improved service-delivery model

Improved academic, behavioral, and social/emotional functioning

Opportunities for mental health education

Child advocate in the schoolClient satisfaction

Example of Benefits to Children and the School:

5th Grade StudentWork Completed in Reading

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Work Completion in Language Arts

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Challenges Common to MH—Education Partnerships

Developing and sustaining partnerships with schools

Developing and sustaining partnerships with parents

Time constraintsLocation, space, and

turf

Addressing ChallengesCreating and sustaining

partnerships with schools

Creating and sustaining partnerships with parents

Working around time constraints

Negotiating location, space, and turf

Leads to Benefits for All!