Mental Health in Schools Act Policy Brief (2017)
Purpose:
The main purpose of this document is to increase funding and expand the Project AWARE State Educational Agency Grant Program carried out by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as well as provide comprehensive development for school and community personnel working in the schools. The Act (2017) will also provide for comprehensive training for children with mental health disorders, for parents, siblings, and other family members of such children, and for concerned members of the community. The main target areas of this educational grant are to build awareness of trauma, appropriately train staff to identify signs of trauma/mental health disorders, and incorporate positive behavioral interventions, family engagement, student treatment, and multi-generational supports to foster the health and development of children (SITE ACT).
Funding:
The funding for this Act (2017) will be used to address the promotion of the social, emotional, and behavioral health of all students in an environment that is conducive to learning, the reduction in the likelihood of at risk students developing social, emotional, behavioral health problems, or substance use disorders, the early identification of social, emotional, behavioral problems, or substance use disorders and the provision of early intervention services, the treatment or referral for treatment of students with existing social, emotional, behavioral health problems, or substance use disorders, the development and implementation of programs to assist children in dealing with trauma and violence, including program curricula, school supports, and after-school programs.
The funding will provide in-service training of all school personnel, including ancillary staff and volunteers, the techniques and supports needed to identify early children with trauma histories and children with, or at risk of, mental illness, the use of referral mechanisms that effectively link such children to appropriate treatment and intervention services in the school and in the community and to follow-up when services are not available, strategies that promote a school-wide positive environment, strategies for promoting the social, emotional, mental, and behavioral health of all students, and strategies to increase the knowledge and skills of school and community leaders about the impact of trauma and violence and on the application of a public health approach to comprehensive school-based mental health programs. That the comprehensive school-based mental health program carried out under this section will include comprehensive training for parents, siblings, and other family members of children with mental health disorders, and for concerned members of the community in the techniques and supports needed to identify early children with trauma histories, and children with, or at risk of, mental illness, the use of referral mechanisms that effectively link such children to appropriate treatment and intervention services in the school and in the community and follow-up when such services are not available; and strategies that promote a school-wide positive environment.
Outcomes:
When measuring the outcomes of this newly established Act (2017), the program will be effective if there is an increase high school graduation rates, social and emotional competency, academic competency, and improving child functioning and access to care for mental health disorders, as well as a reduction in disruptive and aggressive behaviors, substance use disorders, and suspensions, truancy, expulsions, and violence.
The Act (2017) is also focused on local educational outcomes meaning that the Act (2017) will evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive school mental health programs established under this section, the effectiveness of formal partnership linkages among child and family serving institutions, community support systems, and the educational system, the progress made in sustaining the program once funding under the grant has expired, the effectiveness of training and professional development programs for all school personnel that incorporate indicators that measure cultural and linguistic competencies under the program in a manner that incorporates appropriate cultural and linguistic training, the improvement in perception of a safe and supportive learning environment among school staff, students, and parents, the improvement in case-finding of students in need of more intensive services and referral of identified students to early intervention and clinical services, the improvement in the immediate availability of clinical assessment and treatment services within the context of the local community to students posing a danger to themselves or others, the increased successful matriculation to postsecondary school and, reduced referrals to juvenile justice.