Building School-Based Health Partnerships: Opportunities and Challenges for Education Leaders

Abstract

Ms. Braun, a new Special Education Director in the Baso Unified School District, is under pressure to curtail district expenditures on special education services. In her quest to understand why special education enrollment has increased, Ms. Braun learns about the challenges students face when accessing physical and mental health services at school and in the community. This case illustrates how initiatives for improving special education intersect with other district priorities and sheds light on the challenges education and health administrators face in fostering effective cross-sector collaboration.