Graduation Date

Fall 12-16-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Programs

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research

First Advisor

Dr. Melissa Tibbits

Second Advisor

Dr. Jason Coleman

Third Advisor

Dr. Abbie Raikes

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Brandon Grimm

Abstract

Objective: This study: 1) identifies the multi-tiered efforts public K-12 school districts in a large Midwestern metropolitan area use to support mental health promotion activities and comprehensive mental health services, and 2) compares district efforts to domains defined by the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH). Participants: A sample of public K-12 school districts (n=12) in a large Midwestern metropolitan area participated in this study from August 2021 to October 2022. Methods: Using the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) intervention framework, a series of three case studies identify the resources public K-12 school districts utilize to support mental health promotion and mental health services, the interventions used by districts to coordinate comprehensive systems of care that provide mental health promotion and mental healthcare services to students, and the community partnerships districts utilize to address the three MTSS tiers of student mental health need. Results: Significant between-group variation exists between the mental health promotion activities, early interventions, and mental health treatment services and supports offered by participating school districts due to the availability of context-specific resources, variety of interventions used, and availability/utilization of diverse community partnerships. Not surprisingly, the participating districts follow some, but not all of the evidence-informed practices offered by the National Center for School Mental Health in the following three domains: 1) funding and sustainability; 2) MTSS tiers of intervention services and supports; and 3) teaming. Conclusion: Although exceptions exist, many public K-12 school districts report systematic struggles to develop the diverse community partnerships needed to provide adequate mental health promotion, early intervention, and mental health treatment services and supports to their students. Limited resources, mental healthcare workforce shortages, systematic communication failures between medical and educational systems, and the stigma of mental illness still hinder many districts to provide sustainable, comprehensive mental health services to students in need.

Comments

2022 Copyright, the authors

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