Net Exchange Response
Title: Need resources for delivering mental health in schools
Date Posted: 2/15/2005Question: "My training and experience is in the field of children’s mental health. I am
looking for resources to plan for the delivery of school-based children’s mental health services." Response: Training in children's mental health provides a solid base upon which to
build an approach to mental health in schools. Fortunately, to build on this base, there is a
growing set of resources specifically related to mental health in schools.
For someone just starting to think about the topic, we have developed a special introduction
on our website -- with many links to resources and a reference list that includes various overview
articles and edited books.
See: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/aboutmh/aboutmhover.htm
We also have developed a special "Gateway to a World or Resources for Enhancing MH in
Schools." This is a categorized links "map" that provides quick access to relevant internet
sources for resources. It is also a tool to facilitate various forms of networking and to help
analyze strengths, weaknesses, and gaps/inequities in available resources. The gateway also can
be a starting point for enhancing collaborative partnerships among key groups with overlapping
interests related to mental health in schools.
See --
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/gateway/gateway_sites.htm
To provide a Quick Find tool with direct links to available resources -- including the many
we have developed on specific topics -- go to our Quick Find Online Clearinghouse menu --
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/websrch.htm
Also see the Center's Resource Synthesis to Help Integrate Mental Health in Schools into the
Recommendations of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health --
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/newfreedomcommission/resourcesynthesis.pdf
From our perspective, efforts to enhance mental health in schools go well beyond delivering
school-based mental health services. A fundamental concern is connecting with the wide array of
folks who can contribute to the work, some of whom already are involved with mental health in
a school. From a school's perspective, the objective should be to build and strengthen a
comprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive approach to addressing barriers to learning and
teaching. For more on this broad perspective, see our Center documents:
As you will see from the above resources, a good starting place is to learn about what and who
the school district and schools already have in place to (a) support students who manifest mental
health and psychosocial problems and (b) promote mental health and prevent problems. Ask
those already working on such matters about what is working well and where the gaps are. This
involves clarifying priorities in terms of what needs strengthening and what gaps need to be
filled (e.g., mental health promotion? prevention? early intervention? treatment?).
As you make contact with these folks, you might want to set up an ongoing mechanism (e.g., a
resource-oriented team) for meeting together to enhance what many schools are now calling
"learning supports." (The term "learning supports" or a "learning support component" provides a
unifying concept under which to pursue mental health in schools in a way that schools can see as
directly relevant to achieving their mission). The objective of meeting together on a regular basis
is for ongoing coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and enhancement of resources to do the
work. For more about this, see the Center's online document
For guidance re. working with others at the school related to case-oriented concerns, see:
For resources re. frequently occurring problems at schools, see:
Of special importance to mental health in schools is work with teachers. They need help to
become more effective in working with students who manifest behavior, emotional, and learning
problems. In many schools, one of the biggest problems confronting teachers is how to re-engage
students who have become disengaged from classroom learning. Re. this concern, see:
In general, working as part of a team in a school can be a great opportunity to create a safe,
caring, and nurturing school climate and sense of community to benefits everyone at the school.
There are many good resources on this. See, for example:
Feedback
"I wonder why it is that mental health usually makes the first move and tries to meet
schools more than halfway. Maybe it's the nature of the profession. Mental health professionals
are more willing to explore new methods and solutions and actually strive to get to the root of
the problem.... As a former classroom teacher, however, I am also asking mental health
professionals to understand the role of educators. Educators by the very nature of their
profession are expected to walk into a classroom with all the answers and almost perceive any
questioning of their authority as a personal affront (which makes it more difficult for them to
concede that they may not possess all the answers.
Please also realize that most teachers had pleasant childhood experiences in school which
prompted them to enter the teaching profession in the first place...Therefore, they have some
difficulty in (1) understanding why certain students cannot learn the curriculum being taught and
(2) in relating to the very students they need to reach the most.
It is my firm belief that until educators realize they cannot successfully do their job of
educating students without working hand-in-hand with mental health professionals in supporting
those students, schools will continue to see academic declines. ..."
Submit a request or comment now.  UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools
Dept. of Psychology, P.O.Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
tel: (310)825-3634
email: Linda Taylor ~ web: https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu
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